Ruth Orkin, a renowned photojournalist and filmmaker, discovered her passion for photography at a young age. At 17, she embarked on a trip across the United States, documenting her journey and biking over 2,000 miles. In 1951, Life magazine sent her to Israel, and she then traveled to Italy, which is where she took the photo American Girl in Italy, recognized as one of the most influential photos of the 20th century. When she returned, Orkin and her husband, photographer/filmmaker Morris Engel, made their film Little Fugitive. They moved to their apartment on Central Park West in 1955, and Orkin’s photos from her window became the subject for two books. Orkin’s photography has had a renaissance since the centennial of her birth in 2021. Since then, five books have been published, including her Bike Trip book and two books based on her traveling shows in Europe: A Photo Spirit and Women. Photos from her cross-country bicycle trip were exhibited at the Fondation Cartier-Bresson in 2023.

Submitted by American Photography Archives Group