Pierrepenny is named after Penny Gentieu’s great great grandfather, Pierre Gentieu (1842-1930), who Penny found out was a photographer many years into her own photography career. Pierrepenny.com explores the creative connections discovered in her family history.

She is also a part of a family of artists, beginning with her great-grandfather, a Civil War photographer. Gentieu uses this family history to highlight the relationship between memory and experience, particularly in how a visual language can traverse generations. Comparing her black-and-white snapshots with the works of her family, she portrays how genetic ties can carry a visual trace.  – The Museum of Contemporary Photography

Your “story” and memory of the book you made with your grandfather’s work will remain as one of my best examples of how the past and present connect in really meaningful, personal ways. – Ellen Rendle, Historical Society of Delaware