Madame Yevonde

Yevonde, born in 1893 in Streatham, London, was a vivacious and experimental photographer. She operated over six decades of the 20th century, opening her first studio in 1914 at the young age of 21.

Yevonde was a suffragette at the height of the cause and a lifelong supporter of women's rights. She stated that 'portrait photography without women would be a sorry business.' Yevonde gained freedom from photography and we see this through her powerful construction of female roles in her work.

Yevonde's work was soon respected widely as she embraced opportunities to work in fashion, advertising and the illustrated press. Over the years of interwar change and technological advances, Yevonde became a pioneer working with the Vivex colour process.