Documenting science

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Fascination with scientific advances motivated Berenice Abbott to use photography as “the friendly interpreter of science.” Documenting Science explores her work from 1939, showcasing early experiments with scientific imagery, commercial assignments, and the 1958 Physical Science Study Project at MIT, which illustrated new physics textbooks. This remarkable body of work is among Abbott’s most innovative and creative, combining beauty and instruction to illustrate fundamental scientific principles. These images have transformed how thousands of students visualize complex physics concepts. Born in 1898 in Springfield, Ohio, Abbott became a key figure in twentieth-century American photography. After moving to Paris in 1921, she was hired by Man Ray in 1923 as an assistant with no prior photography experience. She quickly learned the craft and held her first successful solo exhibition in 1926. Over the next 65 years, Abbott mastered various subjects, with notable projects including Changing New York (1935–1938), documenting rural America along US Route 1, interpreting scientific and natural phenomena, and establishing Eugène Atget's reputation. She also founded the first university photography program in the U.S. In 2008, a two-volume retrospective was published, highlighting her significant contributions to photography and science.