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The profession of photographer has always been open to women because it was not standardised; it was a young, unstable profession, not necessarily prestigious or exclusive. From the 19th century onwards, many women took up the emerging art of photography. Present in all fields, from art to journalism, fashion, science and advertising, they nevertheless too often encountered a lack of recognition and visibility.

Laure Adler, journalist and author, and Clara Bouveresse, lecturer at the University of Evry, exhibition curator and author, honour these women photographers through a personal selection, bringing together essential pioneers, forgotten figures and young discoveries. Some are involved in politics or feminist activism, others venture into war zones or break with norms and conventions. All take risks, emancipate themselves from established frameworks and invent new forms, new ways of being and working. These women are ‘dangerous’ because they challenge the expectations and assumptions surrounding their profession and status: they invite us to imagine new worlds.