Johnston seated at a desk in her studio/office, with photographs and advertising posters on the walls, including the Chap Book, Harper's, and Lippincott's magazines. Frances "Fannie" Benjamin Johnston (January 15, 1864 - May 16, 1952) was an American photographer and photojournalist. She received training in photography from Thomas Smillie, director of photography at the Smithsonian. She took portraits of many famous contemporaries. In the 1920s, she became interested in photographing architecture, documenting buildings and gardens which were falling into disrepair or about to be redeveloped and lost. Her photographs remain an important resource for modern architects, historians and conservationists. July 1895.