Vintage Photo Printables by Frances Benjamin Johnson
I'm excited to share my latest collection of free vintage photograph printables. This time, I've curated a special set of images from the incredible photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston. Johnston was a trailblazer in her time, capturing a wide range of subjects with her unique and evocative style. Two self-portraits of her appear on the 2” x 3” journal card printable below. She is the woman in the top left image holding a cigarette and beer stein and in the bottom left photo sitting on a rock ledge.
About the Collection
This collection features a variety of portraits, candid shots, and playful images that showcase Johnston's versatility and keen eye for detail. The photos capture moments of everyday life, as well as more posed and theatrical compositions, offering a glimpse into the world of the early 20th century. Each image tells a story, making these printables perfect for your junk journals, vintage scrapbooks, or any creative project you're working on.
What's Included?
I've created three different sizes of these printables to suit your needs:
1.5 x 2.5 Inch Collage Sheet: Perfect for small projects or journal tags.
2 x 3 Inch Collage Sheet: A bit larger, these images are great for focal points in your art pieces.
2.5 x 3.5 Inch ATC Size Collage Sheet: Ideal for artist trading cards, these images are sized just right for swapping and sharing with your creative community. Or use them to make journal cards.
How to Use These Printables
Feel free to download and print these sheets as many times as you'd like. They're perfect for:
Junk Journals: Add a touch of history to your pages.
Scrapbooking: Create vintage-themed layouts that stand out.
Mixed Media Art: Incorporate these photos into your collages and artwork for an authentic vintage feel.
ATC (Artist Trading Cards): Swap these mini masterpieces with friends and fellow artists.
Of course, those are only suggestions. Let your imagination guide you on your creative journey.
If you like these vintage photographs, you may also want to check out the free Theresa Babb collage sheets I made a while back. She was another female photographer pioneer. You may also like these C.M. Bell printables, or these vintage portraits taken for the 1900 Paris Exposition. I have an entire section of free vintage photo ephemera sheets you can print and add to your mixed-media art supplies.
2.5” x 3.5” ATCs
Vintage photographs have a timeless quality that can enhance a wide variety of creative projects. Here are some ideas for how you can use these Frances Benjamin Johnston printables:
Junk Journals:
Historical Themes: If you're creating a junk journal with a historical theme, these photos are perfect. Use them to set the tone for your journal, pairing them with vintage papers, handwritten notes, and old letters.
Personal Reflections: Johnston's portraits are incredibly expressive, making them ideal for pages that explore personal reflections, emotions, and stories. Choose an image that resonates with you and build your journal entry around it.
Collage Work: Create intricate collages using Johnston’s images as focal points. Surround them with other vintage elements—such as lace, pressed flowers, or antique book pages—for a rich, layered effect.
Scrapbooking:
Vintage-Themed Layouts: For those who love vintage-themed scrapbooking, these printables are a treasure trove. Pair them with sepia-toned papers, old stamps, and vintage postcards to create stunning layouts that transport you back in time.
Mixed Media Art:
Art Journals: Incorporate these photographs into your art journal pages to explore themes of identity, memory, and history. Use paint, ink, and other media to alter the photos, creating unique, personalized pieces of art.
Assemblage Art: Johnston’s images can serve as the perfect starting point for assemblage art projects. Combine them with found objects, textiles, and other ephemera to create multi-dimensional pieces that tell a story.
2" x 3" Journal Cards
Artist Trading Cards (ATCs):
Mini Masterpieces: These ATC-sized printables are perfect for creating small, collectible pieces of art. Whether you’re trading with others or keeping them for yourself, these mini artworks can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
Series Creations: Create a series of ATCs that explore a particular theme, such as childhood, work, or self-expression, using Johnston’s photos as your inspiration.
Home Decor:
Decoupage Projects: Use these printables to add a vintage touch to furniture, trays, or boxes. Decoupage the images onto your chosen surface and seal them with a clear varnish for a custom, one-of-a-kind piece.
Creative Writing Prompts:
Character Studies: Use Johnston’s portraits as inspiration for character studies in your creative writing. Imagine who these people were, what their lives were like, and what stories they have to tell.
Story Starters: Choose an image and write a story based on it. What’s happening in the scene? What led up to this moment? What happens next? Let the photograph be your guide as you craft your narrative.
Johnston’s legacy is more than just her photographs; it’s the way she paved the way for future generations of female photographers and artists. Her work challenged societal norms, pushed the boundaries of what was possible in photography, and left an indelible mark on the history of American art. By incorporating her images into your creative projects, you’re not only preserving a piece of history but also continuing the legacy of a woman who dared to see the world differently.
I hope you enjoy using these vintage photograph printables as much as I enjoyed putting them together. Frances Benjamin Johnston's work is a treasure trove of inspiration, and I'm excited to see how you incorporate these images into your creative projects.
If you enjoy these free printables, be sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest, so you’ll see when I post new ones.
1.5" x 2.5" Journal Tags
Use these in art journaling, junk journaling, bullet journaling, collage, artist trading cards (ATCs), scrapbooking and other mixed media artwork and crafts.
You may also enjoy these free collage sheets.
Terms of use:
Free to use for personal or commercial projects. You may print the collage sheets as many times as you wish for your personal crafts or in your projects to sell, including: art journals, scrapbooks, junk journals, collage art, etc. You may not redistribute or sell the collage sheets “as is" in either print or digital form.
If you wish to share the files on your own website, please do not make the files available for download directly from your site. Instead, include an image with a link back to this site.
To the best of my knowledge, these are all royalty free images that are in the Public Domain in the US. However, you should always do your own research if you plan to use them commercially.
