Now available in an updated paperback edition and including new photographs, this thorough and accessible introduction to the greatest women photographers from the 19th century to today features the most important works of 55 artists, along with in-depth biographical and critical assessments. Since the inception of photography as an art form nearly 200 years ago, women have played an important role in the development of the genre, often pushing boundaries and defying social convention. This comprehensive volume presents fifty-five of the most important women photographers such as Eve Arnold, Nan Goldin, Candida Höfer, Dorothea Lange, Inge Morath, and Cindy Sherman. Each artist is profiled in spreads featuring splendid reproductions of their key works and in-depth overviews of their careers and contributions to photography. Biographical information for each subject and a contextual essay focusing on the impact of women in the history of the medium makes this an excellent illustrated reference.