Dorothy Bohm Exhibition at Lee Miller's Former Home Showcases Decades of Women-Focused Photography

An exhibition titled 'About Women' featuring the work of photographer Dorothy Bohm opens on April 2 at Farleys House & Gallery in East Sussex, the former residence of photographer Lee Miller. The show presents seven decades of Bohm's photography centered on female subjects, drawn from her 2015 photobook of the same name. Bohm, who lived from 1924 to 2023, was born to a Jewish family in East Prussia and was sent to England at age 14 before World War II. She studied photography in Manchester after attending school in Ditchling, East Sussex, and opened her own studio. Inspired by a 1947 visit to an artist colony in Ascona, Switzerland, she began her renowned street photography practice. Bohm became a significant presence in London's photographic community, initially working in black and white before adopting color in the 1980s. Her daughter, art historian Monica Bohm-Duchen, notes that Bohm viewed being a woman as an advantage in her work. The exhibition location holds historical connections: Bohm's first solo show was at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1969, co-founded by Miller's husband Roland Penrose, who wrote the foreword to Bohm's first photobook in 1970. Bohm later assisted in promoting Miller's legacy by encouraging Miller's son Antony Penrose to bring her neglected negatives to public attention and helped exhibit Miller's work at The Photographers' Gallery, where Bohm served as associate director. Penrose now supports Bohm's recognition, praising her compassionate and perceptive portrayal of women. Interest in Bohm's work is increasing, with recent acquisitions by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and Kettle's Yard in Cambridge. Another exhibition of her photographs will open at the Museo Comunale d'Arte Moderna in Ascona on September 20, running through January 2027.