Rebecca Salsbury James, Born in London in 1891, was the daughter of American parents who were performers touring with the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. In 1902, she returned to New York, and later became involved with the avant-garde art scene upon meeting her first husband, the photographer Paul Strand. James was a self-taught painter, but was surrounded by artists in the Stieglitz circle. She was close friends with Marsden Hartley and Georgia O’Keeffe, both of whom were influences on her work and supportive of her career.
She had a strong connection to Taos, New Mexico. Rebecca Salsbury James first traveled to Taos with Strand in 1926, and returned in 1929 alongside O’Keeffe, staying with Mabel Dodge Luhan. While in Luhan’s company, James befriended Dorothy Brett and Frieda Lawrence. Mabel Dodge Luhan, was a wealthy patron of the arts, and was instrumental in building the artistic community in Taos. Continue reading “Rebecca Salsbury James”
