Area photographer’s career honored

It’s been over 60 years since Belle Johnson took her last photo, but her photography and career are still gaining attention. Last week the Monroe City photographer was inducted posthumously into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame.
Spearheading the nomination of Johnson, who died in 1945, was Linda Geist, publisher of the Lake Gazette newspaper in Monroe City.
“When this whole project started of nominating her into the Photojournalism Hall of Fame my goal was to remember someone who probably does not have family to remember her, and her work was so incredible that it needs to be documented and preserved in history,” said Geist. “Too many times we as journalists or photojournalists tend to forget to record our own histories and she was no exception. Her own life, her own history was recorded in her work and I think that I as a journalist feel an obligation to make sure that her total dedication to her profession is not forgotten by future generations.”
Approximately 200 of Johnson’s photos were given to her friend and fellow photographer, William L. Bennett. Upon his death the collection went to the Massillon Museum in Massillon, Ohio. However, one does not need to travel to Ohio to see Johnson’s photos.
“I’ve obtained copies of all of her photographs from the museum in Ohio and had them mounted and framed,” said Geist. “They hang on the walls here in the office so hopefully people will have a chance to remember her.”
Privately-held photos taken by Johnson can also still be found. Emma Jo Mudd of Monroe City has photos of herself taken by Johnson dating back to when Mudd was six months old. Johnson took other photos of Mudd, including her high school graduation and wedding pictures. Mudd, however, was more than just one of Johnson’s clients.
“I knew her personally,” said Mudd. “I worked in a jewelry store below her studio. When she would have a sitting and it was sort of cloudy, she would call me up to get her lighting adjusted. I would sit there in a chair wherever she was going to put the people and she’d get her lighting adjusted, then I’d come back down to the jewelry store and work. She always said, ‘Thank you.’ But one day she came down with a picture (of Mudd). I said, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you took that.’ I said, ‘How much do I owe you?’ She said, ‘Nothing,’ and walked out. She was sort of abrupt, but she was a softie, too. She was gruff sometimes.”
According to scholar Juanita Yates, Johnson was once asked whether or not it was hard for a woman to get ahead in the world of men photographers. Johnson responded with ‘No,” adding that she made sure to it that she was better then they were at photography.
“The thing that is unique is that she was from a very small area and made a living in a time when women basically didn’t work outside the home at all. Not only did she make a living, she was outstanding in her field,” said Geist, noting that Johnson was a charter member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). “She never let gender, money or anything else influence her own personal success. She was a perfectionist. The fact that she was from a small town did not seem to deter her in her efforts to become the best in her field.”
A native of Mendota, Mo., Johnson graduated with honors from St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind. She moved to Monroe City where she became a photographer’s assistant in a Monroe City studio. After striking out on her own professionally, Johnson gained acclaim for her creative use of light.
“She was very, very particular about the time of day she took a photo,” said Geist. “She had a skylight in her studio and she would only take appointments during times when the light would be exactly right. When you study her photographs the lighting is incredible.”
Johnson was noted for her photos of groups and individuals.
“She set people in such a way that she caught them in a natural pose. Many times people would go for an appointment and she would have them sit there while she was adjusting her equipment and unbeknownst to the subject she would be taking their photo. They would say, ‘We’re ready now.’ And she would say, ‘I already have your photo.’ It was a very natural, flattering photo,” said Geist.
“Her work is timeless. It’s just incredibly beautiful to this day even with all the modern equipment and all the wonderful options photographers have available to them. Her work still competes with the best today.”
Although Johnson received international recognition, her work is still considered invaluable locally because it provides an important link to Monroe City’s past, according to Geist.
“She not only took studio photos, but her photographs of the town, streets and different events in town are the only remaining legacy of what we have of our town’s history. It was important to me to record that she was the historian of the town,” she said.