Margaret Bourke-White never let an important moment escape her. A pioneer in the field of photojournalism, she worked across genres and was a frequent contributor to LIFE and Fortune magazines.
By 1930, Bourke-White moved into offices on the 61st floor of the Chrysler Building. She befriended the stainless steel gargoyles that lived outside of her window (affectionately nicknamed “Bill” and “Min”), and even found opportunity to take her camera out onto one of the Art Deco beasts to capture images of New York City’s changing skyline.
The Patricia D. Klingenstein Library holds a number of Bourke-White's letters from this era, all part of the Time Inc. records. What they reveal is a businesswoman and creator at work, battling to preserve the pay and credit she felt she deserved.
On view now at the New-York Historical Society: Cocktails at Three Paces: A Closer Lens on Margaret-Bourke White
Copy of the Time Inc. company newsletter "FYI" from July 2, 1965.