State Library of NSW Acquires Lorrie Graham Archive, Opens Retrospective Exhibition
The photographic archive of Lorrie Graham has been acquired by the State Library of New South Wales, which is showcasing the exhibition 'Lorrie Graham: Photojournalist' through 31 October. This exhibition includes more than 100,000 images spanning her five-decade career, capturing a variety of communities and issues. In a recent interview, Graham highlighted the significance of having a unique voice in photography, particularly in the age of AI, and stressed the role of the library's collection in fostering trust. At 14, she was inspired to pursue photojournalism by a book about Margaret Bourke-White and began her cadetship in 1975 as the sole female among 60 men. Additionally, the library is hosting 'Mervyn Bishop: Close Up', celebrating Australia’s first Aboriginal press photographer.
Key facts
- Lorrie Graham became the first female photography cadet at The Sydney Morning Herald in 1975, which was International Women's Year.
- Her archive, comprising more than 100,000 images and negatives, has been acquired by the State Library of NSW.
- The exhibition 'Lorrie Graham: Photojournalist' is on view at the State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, until 31 October.
- Graham was inspired to pursue photojournalism at age 14 by a book about Margaret Bourke-White, the first female LIFE magazine photographer.
- She worked alongside Mervyn Bishop, Australia's first Aboriginal press photographer, during her time at Fairfax.
- The State Library is also presenting 'Mervyn Bishop: Close Up' concurrently.
- Graham has photographed all of COVID on her iPhone and has experience with film, digital, and mobile photography.
- She argues that film is kinder to people because film grain is round, while digital pixels are squares.
Entities
Artists
- Lorrie Graham
- Margaret Bourke-White
- Mervyn Bishop
- Paul Keating
- Bob Hawke
- Noni Hazelhurst
- Gloria Jackson
- Alex Ellinghausen
- Kate Geraghty
- Robert Milliken
- Hugh Stewart
- Alannah Sue
Institutions
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- State Library of New South Wales
- Rolling Stone Magazine
- Fairfax
- ArtsHub
- LIFE magazine
- ScreenHub
- Creative Hubs Group
- Time Out Sydney
- National Gallery of Victoria
- Artisan
- HOTA
Locations
- Sydney
- Australia
- New South Wales
- Port Moresby
- Papua New Guinea
- Afghanistan
- Northern Iraq
- Ivanhoe
- Melbourne
- Gold Coast
- Woollahra