Ruth Chin photographic negatives

Ruth Chin was born on May 10, 1924 in Chicago, the eldest of three children. She was raised in Muncie, Indiana where her parents owned and operated a Chinese restaurant. From the age of eight, she developed an interest in photography, and eventually attended MacMurray College for Women in Jackson, Illinois, majoring in art. After graduating from college, she returned to Muncie and was hired as the first female photographer at the Muncie Star and Muncie Evening Press. Chin covered a variety of events for the newspaper, including sports, school events, 4-H events, etc. In 1954, she left the newspaper to open her own studio in downtown Muncie.

Chin received a number of awards for her work, including awards from the National Press Photographers Association, Life Magazine, The Associated Press, WPCI, and the National Federation of Press Women. She was also the first woman to receive the Bushemi Award from The Associated Press of Indiana.