This course explores the development of photography from pre-1839 to 1980, with examples drawn from contemporary practice as relevant. Our two guiding questions will be (1) what is photography? and (2) what have people believed about photographs through time? We will thus trace the history of the medium both within the context of visual studies and in relation to its social applications. Our approach will be thematic rather than solely chronological, with the goal of expanding the canon in terms of makers and geography. Specifically, the course content will be organized into five units that map onto major trends in contemporary photographic practice: (1) alternative processes and materiality, (2) eco- or environmental photography, (3) identity- based practice, (4) documentary and photojournalism, and (5) photography in the expanded field.

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