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Imogen: The Mother of Modernism and Three Boys
Imogen's family didn't have much, and life was hard atop the wild hill they call home. But when Imogen declared she wanted to be a photographer, her father built her her very own darkroom. Flash forward. Imogen is a photographer and a mother. She has her hands full! How does she do it all? She turns the garden into a wonderland for her three growing boys and a workshop for herself. While she works, her boys play, and Imogen photographs them. Click. Click. Click. Photographing her sons leads Imogen to focus on plants and flowers - most notably her signature magnolia blossoms - for which she will become best known. Here, then, is the story of Imogen Cunningham, one of the finest photographers of the 20th century and mother to three boys.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 16, 2019
A Children's Picture Book biography of the photographer Imogen Cunningham. The book focuses on her life as a mother as much as her life as an artist. This is alright and should certainly be included , but I wanted more on the art.
If reading to children, one would obviously need access to the actual photographs, only one of which is reproduced in the endnotes.
Imogen Cunningham: Flora by Imogen Cunningham is where I would start.
If reading to children, one would obviously need access to the actual photographs, only one of which is reproduced in the endnotes.
Imogen Cunningham: Flora by Imogen Cunningham is where I would start.
September 3, 2021
Yes, I disliked this book, perhaps I am the only one but I had many reasons. This book is not about Imogen Cunningham the artist, it is about Imogen Cunningham the mother. It fails to bring her art to life. Her photographs were in black and white but this book has everything in color. It doesn't show any of her actual art. It doesn't talk about her career at all not even in the postscript. What artists did she associate with? Who influenced her? Did she attend art school? Did she make any money? Who bought her art? How did her art develop over her lifetime? What was she trying to convey with her art? What happened to her career after her children grew up? The author Amy Novesky used this book as a political statement about how women can have it all, they can slave over the hot stove, care for their husband and children and still have a successful career. That really isn't true and if you go by what is written in the book, she didn't have a career at all. I wanted to learn about the "Mother of Modernism"!
February 26, 2021
5.0 As you know I love children’s books and I am particularly enchanted when they are about female photographers. Oh, wait, this is the only one I have but I am hoping to find more soon. Imogen Cunningham was a remarkable photographer. I love, like Ruth Asawa, she lived in San Fransisco and had a garden. Her dad built her a darkroom and so did mine. I loved that she kept on at her craft after having children, too. I would like to read more about her so I will.
October 9, 2023
Imogen: The Mother of Modernism and Three Boys is a large hardback picture book for young children by Amy Novensky, which was published in 2012. The illustrations are by Lisa Congdon. It is the story of Imogen Cunningham, “one of the finest photographers of the 20th century and mother to three boys”. If you are expecting a certain slant from this, or a tale about honouring domestic superwomen, well there isn’t one. I’m not at all sure why this title was chosen. In fact this is a rather odd, drab book altogether.
It begins by stating simply that Imogen grew up in a house on a “wild hill” in a family with not much money; that she wanted to be a photographer when she was a teenager, so her father built her a darkroom. We have a naive-style illustration of a wooden house with Imogen sitting outside it, and a picture of a candle framed by a window from outside. Presumably this is the dark room. And we are now on to page 5.
Suddenly Imogen is an adult, and taking commissions for portrait photographs. A few of these are shown, also as naive sketches. She marries an etcher and over the page we see 3 children, all occupied with their own activities, (with building-bricks, watering a plant, hammering some wood) while Imogen, now in specs, washes up. Here’s the text:
“Imogen wanted to take pictures. But she couldn’t leave the house. And so she focused on her family.”
(Well if you say so. But these toddlers look almost unbelievably self-sufficient to me!)
Turning over the page we see child-like drawings of the children, accompanied by the word “CLICK”. Evidently these indicate photographs Imogen took of her children. Turn another page, and we have another set. I can’t help thinking that images which looked more like the actual photographs would have been preferable.
Another page turn gives us a “headshot” of Imogen, her camera pointing towards a magnolia flower. Nothing else.
Next we have a reverse view of Imogen and one of her children (standing on a box), working in the darkroom. Incredibly we are now at the end, and the last page of the story shows the family pictured seated at a table with a hot meal in front of them. No, the etcher father has not reappeared and magicked this up. The explanation as to how this happened is simply:
“After a day’s work, when the light was just right, and the house was alight with three hungry boys” (alight?) “Imogen cooked for them. She didn’t expect life to be smooth and easy and beautiful. But sometimes it was.”
The final pages have an actual photograph: a self-portrait of Imogen Cunningham in the garden with her 3 children. Actually it is really about light and shade, I think, as they are all half obscured by foliage. There are also a few factual paragraphs for adults, about Imogen Cunningham, although it has to be said that the children’s section is in just as small print as this part.
This is a bafflingly unfocused, uninformative book, about a subject which could have been fascinating. The writing is uninteresting and I can see the target group of 4 - 6 year olds (the publishers say 4 - 8!) getting very bored. Both the artist and illustrator are American, and have produced other picture books independently, but I do not recommend this one. Two stars, grudgingly, and only because I think a picture book about Imogen Cunningham is a good idea.
It begins by stating simply that Imogen grew up in a house on a “wild hill” in a family with not much money; that she wanted to be a photographer when she was a teenager, so her father built her a darkroom. We have a naive-style illustration of a wooden house with Imogen sitting outside it, and a picture of a candle framed by a window from outside. Presumably this is the dark room. And we are now on to page 5.
Suddenly Imogen is an adult, and taking commissions for portrait photographs. A few of these are shown, also as naive sketches. She marries an etcher and over the page we see 3 children, all occupied with their own activities, (with building-bricks, watering a plant, hammering some wood) while Imogen, now in specs, washes up. Here’s the text:
“Imogen wanted to take pictures. But she couldn’t leave the house. And so she focused on her family.”
(Well if you say so. But these toddlers look almost unbelievably self-sufficient to me!)
Turning over the page we see child-like drawings of the children, accompanied by the word “CLICK”. Evidently these indicate photographs Imogen took of her children. Turn another page, and we have another set. I can’t help thinking that images which looked more like the actual photographs would have been preferable.
Another page turn gives us a “headshot” of Imogen, her camera pointing towards a magnolia flower. Nothing else.
Next we have a reverse view of Imogen and one of her children (standing on a box), working in the darkroom. Incredibly we are now at the end, and the last page of the story shows the family pictured seated at a table with a hot meal in front of them. No, the etcher father has not reappeared and magicked this up. The explanation as to how this happened is simply:
“After a day’s work, when the light was just right, and the house was alight with three hungry boys” (alight?) “Imogen cooked for them. She didn’t expect life to be smooth and easy and beautiful. But sometimes it was.”
The final pages have an actual photograph: a self-portrait of Imogen Cunningham in the garden with her 3 children. Actually it is really about light and shade, I think, as they are all half obscured by foliage. There are also a few factual paragraphs for adults, about Imogen Cunningham, although it has to be said that the children’s section is in just as small print as this part.
This is a bafflingly unfocused, uninformative book, about a subject which could have been fascinating. The writing is uninteresting and I can see the target group of 4 - 6 year olds (the publishers say 4 - 8!) getting very bored. Both the artist and illustrator are American, and have produced other picture books independently, but I do not recommend this one. Two stars, grudgingly, and only because I think a picture book about Imogen Cunningham is a good idea.
November 23, 2019
My son enjoyed the art and this story of a pioneer in modern photography. My son liked seeing a dark room and discussing how film worked for pictures. I enjoyed seeing how this amazing woman fit developing her passion around raising her children and caring for her family.
December 3, 2022
I loved this book about a woman who had a passion and also took her motherly responsibility seriously. She involved her children in her work, teaching them and loving them all while leaving behind a legacy of incredible photography.
February 12, 2018
I loved reading this book with my child, and learning how devoted Imogen was to her photography and family.
September 17, 2019
Good story, inspiring perseverance.
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June 12, 2020I checked this out just just because i am a big fan of the illustrator (and wanted to see some of her early work!) but the story is darling as well.
March 20, 2023
I picked up several picture books from the library for Women's History Month. I picked this one up because I was completely unaware of the photographer Imogen Cunningham. I loved the illustrations.
August 23, 2023
Another picture book biography about an artist that is little known but important. I was happy to learn about this woman and her work and will enjoy researching more.
January 21, 2022
A beautiful book.
January 26, 2013
Have you ever picked up a book cold, with no expectations, and find it says, “Wow!” to you on many levels? Imogen: The Mother of Modernism and Three Boys by Amy Novesky and illustrated by Lisa Congdon is just such a book.
I’m sorry to admit I had no idea who Imogen was. I love photography. I know about Ansel Adams and Alfred Stieglitz. Why had I never heard of Imogen Cunningham, who was clearly a contemporary? The author calls her “…one of the finest photographers of the twentieth century…” and after checking her images on the Internet, I have to say I agree. Even with all the advantages modern photographers have, from point-and-shoot digital to Instagram, Imogen Cunningham’s photographs are by far better than most, lovely paintings more than photographs.
As for the book, what creative female doesn’t relate to the struggle to balance her work and raising children, the central theme of the book? At first I thought this was a case of an adult book masquerading as a children’s book. After all, how many children can relate to the challenges of child rearing, especially of twins? After thinking about it, however, I realized that it can speak to children. Children might be able to better understand why their mother constantly has a camera in her hand, or a pencil and notepad nearby. It will definitely be important reading for children who would like to grow up to be artists someday, even if they don’t fully grasp all that it is saying now. Plus, Imogen’s story really does deserve to be told.
Imogen is an important and inspiring biography that is sure to appeal to aspiring artists.
For a complete review, see Wrapped In Foil
I’m sorry to admit I had no idea who Imogen was. I love photography. I know about Ansel Adams and Alfred Stieglitz. Why had I never heard of Imogen Cunningham, who was clearly a contemporary? The author calls her “…one of the finest photographers of the twentieth century…” and after checking her images on the Internet, I have to say I agree. Even with all the advantages modern photographers have, from point-and-shoot digital to Instagram, Imogen Cunningham’s photographs are by far better than most, lovely paintings more than photographs.
As for the book, what creative female doesn’t relate to the struggle to balance her work and raising children, the central theme of the book? At first I thought this was a case of an adult book masquerading as a children’s book. After all, how many children can relate to the challenges of child rearing, especially of twins? After thinking about it, however, I realized that it can speak to children. Children might be able to better understand why their mother constantly has a camera in her hand, or a pencil and notepad nearby. It will definitely be important reading for children who would like to grow up to be artists someday, even if they don’t fully grasp all that it is saying now. Plus, Imogen’s story really does deserve to be told.
Imogen is an important and inspiring biography that is sure to appeal to aspiring artists.
For a complete review, see Wrapped In Foil
July 13, 2013
I had never heard of Imogen Cunningham before my 7-year-old son brought this picture book home from the library. From an underprivileged family, Imogen was the first in her family to graduate from a university. She became a portrait photographer and married another artist. After having three boys, she continued to photograph her children and the flowers in her garden while being a devoted mother. The author centered the book's theme around a quote by Cunningham, "You can't expect things to be smooth and easy and beautiful. You just have to work, find your way out, and do anything you can yourself." I find in that a beautiful mission for a life.
Novesky captured Imogen's love for her family and photography with spare but evocative prose and equally spare but evocate illustrations. As I have found with other picture books about photographers, I wished the author would have included more of Cunningham's actual photos than just one self-portrait with her children from the 1920s. I will remedy that with art books that I have just checked out at the library.
Something in the simplicity and truthfulness of the book struck me, and I had to check my tears in the middle of my read aloud to my children, even though there was nothing overly sentimental about it. The book ends by saying, "She didn't expect life to be smooth and easy and beautiful. But sometimes it was." I find that in my life. Sometimes it is, and that is enough.
Novesky captured Imogen's love for her family and photography with spare but evocative prose and equally spare but evocate illustrations. As I have found with other picture books about photographers, I wished the author would have included more of Cunningham's actual photos than just one self-portrait with her children from the 1920s. I will remedy that with art books that I have just checked out at the library.
Something in the simplicity and truthfulness of the book struck me, and I had to check my tears in the middle of my read aloud to my children, even though there was nothing overly sentimental about it. The book ends by saying, "She didn't expect life to be smooth and easy and beautiful. But sometimes it was." I find that in my life. Sometimes it is, and that is enough.
April 8, 2013
As a working mother, this spoke to me. Imogen Cunningham entered the new, male-dominated field of photography, encouraged by her family even though they didn't have much. (She was the first to go to college.) Although having three boys often kept her from pursuing her passion, she still left her mark on the art world.
Love this: "You can't expect things to be smooth and easy and beautiful. You just have to work, find your way out, and do anything you can for yourself."
Although initially I didn't love the somewhat primitive illustrations, by the end of the book I felt they captured many details of the early 20th century period and of the flavor of Cunningham's life.
Love this: "You can't expect things to be smooth and easy and beautiful. You just have to work, find your way out, and do anything you can for yourself."
Although initially I didn't love the somewhat primitive illustrations, by the end of the book I felt they captured many details of the early 20th century period and of the flavor of Cunningham's life.
March 24, 2015
It was the cover artwork that stopped me as I almost walked passed this book while shuffling through our local library. What a great story, and interesting woman. As the mother of two sons, who has a passion for photography, this book spoke to my heart. Even though I was unfamiliar with Imogen Cunningham before reading this beautiful picture book with my youngest son, I won't soon forget her story. It resonated with me that she persevered and continued pursuing her art and passion even while juggling her family responsibilities and the barriers to women in art, some of which still exist today.
January 24, 2016
Grades 2-5. Historical fiction, a story about a woman who became a photographer during a time when it was uncommon for females to have careers. I am unfamiliar with Imogene Cunningham and if she is a well-known artist outside of San Francisco. I would have loved to see some of her actual photographs to compare with the illustrator's reproductions. The value of this book is probably showing how an ordinary woman overcame obstacles to develop her talent.
January 10, 2013
I am a photographer, Imogen was a photographer. I work in digital, she worked in black and white film. The book was informative and got me to look online at her pictures but I am not a fan of her photography. I do love the Magnolia Blossoms but I don't care of her nudes and abstracts! This would be good for someone who needs to do a report on an artist!
January 11, 2016
Imogen Cunningham was a wonderful mother and a fantastic photographer during the 20th century.This delightful children's book tells her story, "the mother of modernism and three boys."
Lisa Congdon's colorful illustrations bring Imogen and her children to life. Step back in time...look at life with Imogen Cunningham and her little family. A sweet read for anyone ... regardless of age.
Lisa Congdon's colorful illustrations bring Imogen and her children to life. Step back in time...look at life with Imogen Cunningham and her little family. A sweet read for anyone ... regardless of age.
May 11, 2013
This was a photographer who I had never known about. I loved how the story was so simply put together and felt that the illustations were rich and lush. I also like the photo of the photographer with her children in the back of the book and the bio page. I felt it was very informative.
August 28, 2013
A simple biography that follows the life of Imogen Cunningham from childhood and into her artistic career. Much to discuss here in terms of the story and the illustrations. I would like to hear children talk about why the illustrator chose to present Imogen's photos as drawings.
April 25, 2015
I think it's strange that her black and white photographs are represented by color paintings. Nice in a way but strange. I get the connection with how people said her photographs looked like paintings but not color paintings.
March 19, 2016
I hadn't ever heard of Imogen Cunningham before I read this gorgeously illustrated book, but I will certainly be looking for some of her work now. She is quite impressive, and I'm glad this pretty book introduced me to her.
January 13, 2013
I have great respect for this artist who managed to perfectly recreate photographs in art. The story read quickly and kept my interest, this would be a good resource for a grade school report.
March 7, 2013
Beautiful illustrations, however, for a book about a photographer, I was kind of hoping to see some photographs.
July 16, 2013
A very good children's biography on an interesting photographer. A great role model for young girls with good art.
July 5, 2014
A great introduction to photographer Imogen Cunningham. No source notes.
April 20, 2015
Nice to see a bio on a woman, and one I was not familiar with.
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August 19, 2016Picture N942i 2012
August 16, 2018
This book is lovely, but be careful googling the photographer as she does some nudes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews