Ann Fessler

Ann Fessler is an American artist, photographer, and author whose groundbreaking work explores hidden histories of women. Her acclaimed book "The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade" draws on interviews with over 100 women to illuminate a silenced chapter of American history. Fessler is a professor emerita at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she taught for over two decades. Her interdisciplinary work combining visual art and social history has earned widespread recognition, giving voice to stories long kept in the shadows.