Anita Lily Pollitzer was an American photographer, and suffragette.
Background
Anita Lily Pollitzer was born October 31, 1894 in Charleston, South Carolina. Her mother, Clara Guinzburg Pollitzer (born Clara Guinzburg), was the daughter of an immigrant rabbi from Prague. Her father, Gustave Pollitzer, ran a cotton company at Charleston, South Carolina.
Career
Despite this upbringing, she is later described as being a "nonobservant" Jew and relied upon her own strength over religious beliefs. A digital history of the Pollitzer family highlights this family story: "Mabel stated in prayer, "God gave me mountains to climb and the strength to climb them," to which Anita responded, "I don’t want God to give me mountains to climb…I want to find my own."
Anita graduated from Memminger High School in 1913 and left Charleston to study art at Columbia University"s Teacher"s College. The couple moved to New York City and lived in an apartment on West 115th Saint
Pollitzer introduced O"Keeffe to Alfred Stieglitz helping to forge one of the most significant artist relationships in the 20th century.
In addition to her influence in art, Pollitzer was instrumental in the passage of the 19th Amendment and held positions of leadership in the National Woman"s Party serving as National Chairman from 1945 until 1949.
She died on July 3, 1975, in New York City.