In Memoriam: Photo Historian Naomi Rosenblum

Friday, Feb 26, 2021

naomi rosenblum hold her book "a history of women photographers"

Photography & Imaging awarded Naomi Rosenblum a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, and made her 3D model of History of Women Photographers.

It is with sadness that the Department of Photography and Imaging shares the news that Dr. Naomi Rosenblum, eminent photographic historian and author of seminal works on the history of photography, passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, February 20, 2021, at age 96.

Dr. Rosenblum, the first woman ever to earn a doctorate in photography, taught in the Department of Photography and Imaging and was a pioneer in the history of photography and the study of women photographers. Dr. Rosenblum’s work over the course of 30 years shaped the understanding of the significance of photography as a fine art form and particularly the contribution of humanist photography in the 20th century.

We are honored that her daughters Lisa and Nina, established the Rosenblum Scholarship at Tisch and the Rosenblum Collections of Photography, Photographic History and Film to be held in perpetuity within NYU Special Collections.

“Naomi Rosenblum has made a tremendous contribution to the study of women photographers and to the history of photography. The Department of Photography & Imaging will continue to learn from her work and generosity as we make visible her support of students in the field with a scholarship named in her honor,” Dr. Deb Willis, chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging, said.

The Department of Photography & Imaging honored Dr. Rosenblum with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, and the Aperture Foundation honored her groundbreaking contributions to the field at its 2020 Gala.

We are deeply grateful to Dr. Rosenblum for her years of teaching and service to the school, and we send our deepest condolences to Dr. Rosenblum’s family, including her devoted daughters Lisa Rosenblum and her partner, Nina Celebic; and Nina Rosenblum and her husband Daniel Allentuck.