A. Aubrey Bodine (1906-1970) is celebrated globally as one of the finest pictorialists of the twentieth century, with his photographs exhibited in hundreds of prestigious shows and museums. His career began in 1923 covering stories for the Baltimore Sunday Sun, where he traveled throughout Maryland to create documentary pictures of extraordinary artistic quality. Bodine's work stands out not only for its subject matter but also for his meticulous craftsmanship and innovative darkroom techniques.
Bodine believed photography could be a creative discipline, studying art principles at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He treated his camera and darkroom equipment as tools akin to a painter's brush, often composing pictures in the viewfinder and manipulating negatives with dyes, intensifiers, and even scraping to achieve desired effects. His rationale was that, like a painter, he selected features that suited his sense of mood, proportion, and design. He famously stated, "He did not take a picture, he made a picture."
Today, Bodine's legacy is preserved online at www.aaubreybodine.com, where more than 6,000 photographs spanning his 47-year career are available for viewing. These images can be ordered as reprints and note cards. The website also features the full biography "A Legend In His Time" by Harold A. Williams, Bodine's editor and closest friend, providing deeper insight into his life and work.
The importance of this announcement lies in the continued accessibility of Bodine's photographic archive, which serves as a valuable resource for art enthusiasts, historians, and photographers. His innovative techniques and artistic vision offer lessons in creativity and craftsmanship that remain relevant today. By preserving and sharing his work online, Bodine's influence extends to new generations, ensuring his place in the history of photography.
