Courses

The emergence of photography in the early nineteenth century was a technological revolution, as significant as the print revolution. This course aims to introduce students to French history through public and private uses of photography and this medium’s relationship to artistic, social and political issues. Historical episodes include the craze for photographs in the Second Empire, the birth of war photography, the relationship between photographic identity and national security, the practice of militant images in the interwar period, and the representation of crimes against humanity. In addition to readings of academic texts and photographs, the study of diaries, letters, and novels written by photographers, poets, and writers will bring additional perspective that is closer to the photographic experience itself. The course’s organization will encourage students to explore the role of private and public organizations as well as various printed forms in disseminating and giving meaning to photographs. Students will learn the language of formal description and hone skills in cultural and historical analysis. Ultimately, students will be asked throughout the course what, if anything, distinguishes a photographic “document” from a photographic “artwork” or from a visual “archive”.