Global Significance
Europe
Many major developments in photography took place in Europe, especially as it first started off. The first photograph was formed there, as were many innovations after it. Not only does photography find its origins in Europe, but it has had a lasting impact on the people there. For the first time people could see the triumph and tragedy happening in places outside their corner of the world, with a veracity that could not be denied. The poor could see the lives of the wealthy and powerful, and the wealthy and powerful could see the lives of the impoverish. Paintings could be exaggerated and ignored because of this, but photography is truth. Photography made poverty and war undeniable in a way that could not be ignored. John Barnardo photographed homeless children in London, and eventually opened a home for them. His policy was to never turn a child away, which led to him running a foster program in 1889. His images made the reality of poverty and children in London seen by those who were in a position to help, and encouraged families to donate and foster children.
Later war photography was also impactful. Photographers were able to show the atrocities of war at home and in the battlefield, and from both sides. To encourage a war from the safety of your home is one thing, but to see what really was happening elevated the tragedy of war. This first war photographed was the Crimean War (by Roger Fenton), and this caused Europe to rethink war. Whereas before they had only seen it through exaggerated heroic paintings, they were now seeing the grime and pain of it. Fenton had a unique ability to capture the desolation after war as well. Images from World War II that came out at the time and after the war have solidified European, and worldwide, resolve to prevent such a horrific event from ever reoccurring. Photography has a unique ability to place the viewer in the world of the subject. Reading about tragedy and triumph in the years prior to photography made the world aware of what was happening, but only seeing these moments caught in time could arose the sympathy and emotions of large populations. Photography in Europe made statements about the world happening around them, and prompted them to change.
Lastly Europeans utilized their photography to showcase their dignity and patriotism. In the midst of tragedy, photographers looked for triumph, which was able to boost morals in Europe and served as yet another way to unite a nation.
North America
The United States of America is responsible for many of the developments in the photography world, and is home to some of the most famous photographers ever. Having taken the process from Europe, the United States influenced not only their own society but the world with their photography. Roger Fenton was an American photographer (mentioned above) who influenced the world's perspective on war with his documentary images during the Crimean War. Matthew Brady took it upon himself, at the expense of his own funds, to photograph the American Civil War. Both at home and away, American photographers were photographing the gritty unknown parts of war. They brought a truthfulness to war and suffering just as photographers did in Europe. Eliphalet Brown Jr. accompanied Commodore Perry to Japan, documenting that exchange and the people there as well.
Photographers in America also made statements about the condition of society. Female photographers made impactful commentary on their roles in photography, while other photographers focused on the multiethnic aspects of the US. Still other photographers ventured to comment on things like industry, poverty and patriotism in America. They framed shocking images to showcase the world around them in order to provoke change. More than many art forms before it, photography has been a catalyst for change as what a photograph represents cannot be denied. Politicians took it upon themselves to enact change based on what photographers showed them, and minorities embraced their newfound representations. Lewis Hine's images of child laborers around 1910 directly influenced the creation of child labor regulations, and by 1920 the number of child laborers was cut in half.
Lastly American photographers took a particular interest in landscapes and nature. With such a variation of environments, American photographers sought out to capture the natural world as much as the industrialized one. This was significant as it pushed people to back conservation efforts and revitalized societies appreciation of nature. People in cities who might have never experienced the grandeur of the Grand Canyon or the Sierra Nevada mountains, could suddenly be taken to them via photograph. One of the most iconic examples of this influential natural photography was Group f.64 (further explained in "History").
