Week 11. History of Photography

Photographic Societies / Researching Photographic History

Morning workshop: Photographic Societies, Portland 2.3, Elizabeth Edwards

Afternoon lecture: The Linked Ring

PHRC christmas party 4pm Elizabeth Edwards' office.

Photographic Societies

Morning seminar: Photographic Societies with Elizabeth Edwards

Introduction: The photographic society, also known as the camera club amongst other names, has been little studied but provided an important means of communication between photographers and scientists and others from the 1850s to today. It was also a means of promoting photography through exhibitions and it provided members with a a darkroom or facilities to allow them to practice photography.

Preparation for this session

Reading

REQUIRED OF EVERYONE

Elizabeth Edwards, The Camera as Historian Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2012.

Reading assignments

Below are seven readings you need to divide and read amongst yourselves, somewhat randomly. The people assigned to each reading are responsible for presenting the reading in class, or discussing the main ideas therein. However, YOU ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR SKIMMING EVERYTHING BELOW and BRING THESE TO CLASS.

Christian Joschke, "Aux origines des usages sociaux de la photographie," La Seuil, 4, no. 154 (2004):53-65.

Simon Naylor, "The Field, Museum and Lecture Hall," Transactions of the British Institute of Geographers 27, No. 4 (2002): 494-513

Charles W. Hastings, Ed, The Amateur Photographer, (September 14, 1888): 161- 163

Charles W. Hastings, Ed, The Amateur Photographer, (September 21, 1888).

The Amateur Photographer (July 5, 1901): 480-481.

"Society Life. II- The Photographic Club" The Photogram, (1895) 222-224.

"Conventionalities" The Photogram, (1895) 207-209).

Recommended

John Taylor, A Dream of England, (Manchester: Manchester University Press), 1994: 50-89.

Afternoon Lecture

The Linked Ring - Lecture

Reviewing the Semester - seminar

There are no required readings for this lecture, but if you are interested in learning more, here are some interesting and informative links.

An exhibition on Luminous Lint with images and names

A Sampler of Alvin Langdon Coburn's photography from the George Eastman House, Rochester, New York

Again from the GEH, images from the Amateur Photographic Association in Britain

Images from the Photographic Exchange Club, again from the GEH

Feedback ()

The feedback is due by the Monday after the session is offered.

This material should be provided as a short response to the following three questions:

1. In one sentence for each, please note two or three main ideas from this session.

    A. First Idea

    B. Second Idea

    C. Third Idea (optional)

2. What concept(s) need more reinforcement?

    A. First question?

    B. Second question?

3. What two or three aspects of this session did the group like/dislike and why?

    A. First like/dislike and why.

    B. Second like/dislike and why.

    C. Third like/dislike and why. (optional) 

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