Anderson, Ruth Matilda

Ruth Matilda Anderson (September 8, 1893 – May 20, 1983) was an American photographer and author, known for her ethnographic photographs and studies of mainly rural life in early 20th-century Spain. During her extended field trips to regions of Spain from the 1920s to the late 1940s, commissioned by the Hispanic Society of America (HSA), she took thousands of photographs and accompanying notes on Spanish life and people. This led to her appointment as Curator of Photography at the Hispanic Society in 1922. From 1954 until her retirement, she continued her career as Curator of Costumes at the HSA, authoring books on Spanish historical and folk costumes. Anderson’s best photographs have been characterized as striking a "balance of objectivity and compassion [...], even when documenting subjects of an anthropological nature." In the 21st century, her contributions to the social history and art historical knowledge of Spain have led to a renewed interest in local history, further publications and public exhibitions in several Spanish cities.