Bourke-White was born in the Bronx, New York on June 14, 1904. Her father's enthusiasm for photography was her gateway drug into the world of photography. This led her to get her to graduate from Cornell University in 1927. It was here were she worked at the school newspaper honing her skills as a photographer. It was also in 1927 that she added her mother's surname (Bourke) to her own last name.
In 1928 Bourke-White moved to Cleveland Ohio where she started her own photography studio and did industrial and architectural photography. The following year she accepted a job as a staff photographer and associate editor for Forbes Magazine. She would hold onto this position until 1935. Following her time at Forbes, Bourke-White was hired as a Photojournalist for the at that time new magazine Life. It was her photograph that was on the cover of the first issue. She would stay with Life until she retired in 1969.
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Source: AllPosters.com
During World War II Bourke-White worked as a combat photographer on the front lines. She was in the Soviet Union when the Germans broke their pact of non-aggression in 1941. She was the only foreign photographer in Moscow when German forces attacked. She was able to capture photos of the conflict while taking refuge in the U.S. Embassy. Throughout the rest of the war Bourke-White captured photos in North Africa, Italy, and eventually Germany.
Following the war, Bourke-White traveled to India where she became famous for her photos of Gandhi as well as her photos of his entire movement. She also was one of the last people to see Gandhi alive. She interviewed as well as photographed him just a few hours before he was assassinated.
In 1953 Bourke-White began to develop Parkinson's. This caused career to slow down as she battled the disease. She would eventually retire in 1969. She ultimately died in 1971 due to Parkinson's disease.
Sources:
Wikipedia
DigitalJournalist.Org
DistinguishedWomen.com
