MEMOIRIST:                       LUCINDA BUNNEN 

INTERVIEWER:                 THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN (GROUP)

                                            MERNA ALPERT

LOCATION:                         ATLANTA, GEORGIA

DATE:                                  FEBRUARY 9, 1988, AND DECEMBER 1988

Transcript (PDF)

BIOGRAPHY

Lucinda Bunnen was born in 1930, and raised on a farm in Katonah, New York, by her parents, along with her older sister Phoebe and younger brother Frank. Both parents came from wealthy families. Her mother’s family was from New York City, and her father’s family was from Savannah, Georgia.

There was not a lot of connection to family history or the Jewish faith in Lucinda’s childhood. Her mother and her family tried to downplay their Jewish heritage, and her father had disconnected from Savannah. He and his sister both lived up north, and her grandparents in Savannah died when she was very young. Lucinda didn’t end up moving south until sister Phoebe first moved down to Atlanta with her first husband, DeJongh Franklin. Lucinda ended up following her to the city and marrying Robert Bunnen. Lucinda has since lived her life centered in Atlanta, though she enjoys traveling.

At the age of forty Lucinda took some classes in photography and found a creative outlet that really resonated with her. With enthusiasm, a unique eye for composition, and a small amount of dumb luck, Lucinda has made an impressive career in photography that has taken her across the country and around the world. She has won awards for her photography, and her work has been shown in numerous venues, including the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Lucinda has also dedicated a lot of time and money to nonprofits, arts organizations, and organizations aiming to do good. She was a founding member of the Norman Foundation, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, and others.

Scope of Interview

Lucinda was interviewed twice by the National Council of Jewish Women: first in a group interview, and then in a one-on-one follow up interview. In the group interview Lucinda talks most about her mother, her life as a photographer, her relationship to her Jewish identity, and her relation to her family. In the follow up interview she helps clarify some points, as well as elaborating on her father’s life, her relationship with her sister, and her work in philanthropy.