Photographer Berenice Abbott was born on this day, July 17, in 1898. Abbott is widely revered for her photographs of New York City architecture of the 1930s, and scientific imagery from the 1940s to 1960s – an example of which can be seen behind her in this portrait.

Karsh photographed Abbott at her home in Maine in 1989. He spoke at her funeral in 1991, and you can listen to a recording here.

Abbott’s fascinating life is explored in Julia Van Haaften’s biography Berenice Abbott: A Life in Photography (WW Norton, 2018). Read more about the book.