History of Photography

Catalog description

Students will learn the general historical development of photography from the 1830s to the present day. Concentrating primarily on Europe and the United States, this survey examines some of the themes threaded throughout photography's short history: the interrelationships between photography and other arts, the effect of technology on the medium, identity construction by and through photographs, and the tradition of the popular photograph. Social, cultural, and economic issues are considered as well as important photographers and photographic movements. Throughout the course there is a focus on thinking critically when looking at a photograph as well as how to articulate ideas in writing.