Anne Morgan: Photography, Philanthropy & Advocacy (English and French Edition)

Award-winning author and filmmaker Alan Govenar, who has produced more than forty short videos for the Musee Franco-americain du Château de Blérancourt, has been working for two years with Mary Niles Maack, a researcher and Professor Emerita at UCLA. Their book, Anne Morgan: Photography, Philanthropy & Advocacy will be published by the American Friends of Blérancourt in January 2016 and will sell for $24.95. It is a work in three parts: a biographical essay, co-authored by Govenar and Maack about Anne Morgan, celebrated humanitarian and founder of the Franco-American Museum, Château de Blérancourt; an essay by Govenar on Anne Morgan and her groundbreaking work catapulted by photography; and a series of rare historic photos of Anne Morgan and her war relief efforts in France.

The idea for this book originated more than a decade ago when Alan Govenar began production of a series of videos, projections, and interactive media for the Musee Franco-americain du Chateau de Blerancourt. Building on the groundbreaking efforts of Anne Dopffer, the museum curator at the time, he recognized the need for a biography of Anne Morgan, but realized the immensity of the work ahead. Early on, conversations with Miles Morgan helped to clarify his approach, and over the years, Miles advice and scholarly acumen have been invaluable. When Alan met Mary Niles Maack in 2013, they were both excited to collaborate. Mary had long been interested in Anne Morgan and had done prior research on her relief work in France. Soon a vital dialogue emerged that propelled the research they conducted together and individually in New York, Washington, Paris, and Blerancourt.

Photography was integral to Anne Morgan's career. Time and time again, she used photographs as a means to muster support for her relief efforts and to advance her philanthropic mission. The thousands of photographs she commissioned during World War I may stand as one of her most enduring achievements. However, the press photographs that reference her social advocacy, the snapshots that chronicle moments in her private life, and the studio portraits that show her poise, stature and ongoing fascination with dressing up in costumes and uniforms illuminate the context of her public work. Together, they offer an intriguing vantage point on the world she knew during the early and middle years of the 20th century when the photographic image emerged as one of the most pervasive means of mass communication.
from Alan Govenar's essay Anne Morgan and the Photographic Image