Margaret Bourke-White, Pioneering Photojournalist
In a field of mostly men, Bourke-White had a successful and influential career as a photojournalist, from the late 1920s through 50s.
Feb 25, 2019
BY Luke Crafton
A guest named Pamela brought a remarkable black-and-white photograph of Mohandas Gandhi to the May 2018 ROADSHOW at Hotel del Coronado in San Diego and shared it with Photographs expert Burt Finger. The photo was taken by renowned photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White during a visit to India in the mid-1940s.
It is an image of serene simplicity: Gandhi sitting on the floor of his room, reading, with his famous spinning wheel in the foreground. Pamela told Burt that she inherited the print a few years ago from her stepfather, an Episcopal minister who was involved in the Civil Rights movement and had especially admired Gandhi as a social activist.
Pamela went on to say that she has developed her own strong attachment to the picture of Gandhi: "It's just like being in the room with him. .... For me, it really touches my heart."
Burt said he was thrilled to have the chance to see such a rare and historic print by such an important 20th-century photographer, estimating the retail value of the print at between $40,000 and $50,000.
We recently asked Burt to reflect on his experience at the San Diego ROADSHOW event; here's what he had to say:
Gallery of ROADSHOW's Margaret Bourke-White Appraisals
A photograph of Mohandas Gandhi at his spinning wheel, taken by Margaret Bourke-White, ca. 1946. Burt Finger appraised the print at the 2018 ROADSHOW in San Diego, California, for $40,000 to $50,000.
