World famous Photograph – Gandhi and the Spinning Wheel | 1946


In 1946 Margaret Bourke-White, LIFE magazine’s first female photographer, was offered a rare opportunity to photograph Mahatma Gandhi. This dream opportunity quickly turned into a nightmare. She was made to overcome many challenges before gaining access to India’s ideological leader. Including to spin Gandhi’s famous homespun.

After two failed shoots, thanks to technical difficulties, it was third time lucky for Bourke-White.

This iconic image of Gandhi at his spinning wheel was captured less than two years before his assassination.

Note: Bourke-White was an icon for me coming up as a young photographer. She seemed fearless and went where even some men dared not to go. Her courage and fortitude influenced me and my work early in my career. There is a movie about her life (she’s played by Farrah Fawcett) called Double Exposure. If you can get your hands on it, it’s a great watch. 


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