History of Photography
please note that the following periods are based off of the AP World History curriculum (2018-2019)
How to view an eclipse
with a pinhole camera
A woman viewing an eclipse in California, USA (2014)
Shen Kuo
Roger Bacon
Period 2
600 BCE - 600 CE
The concept of the pinhole camera, which serves as the foundation of photography, goes back to 400 BC, with Chinese philosopher Mo-ti. Although he was primarily the founder of Mohism during the Warring States Period, he is relevant to photography
because he was the first to record
the idea of the pinhole camera. Later in this time period Aristotle is one of the first to use the pinhole camera, in 350 BCE. He utilized it by having the pinhole camera project the image of the eclipse so that he could safely view the phenomena. People around the world use the same method as Aristotle to view solar eclipses in the modern era, by creating cheap pinhole cameras at home.
Mo-ti
Aristotle
Period 3
600 CE - 1450 CE
In 1000 CE Ibn al-Haytham al Hazen Alhazen studied the reverse image created by pinhole cameras, and described the rectilinear propagation of light. Rectilinear propagation of light is an important concept to keep in mind when understanding pinhole photography as well as later forms of photography. In 1050 CE, Chinese scientist Shen Kuo wrote the Dream Pool Essays, in which he describes the science of the pinhole camera, including focal points and inverted images. He never takes credit for the ideas himself, but it is an important collection of information. Later, in 13th century CE, Roger Bacon writes about viewing solar eclipses through the pinhole camera in England. It is important to take note that the idea of the pinhole camera and its uses began to spread throughout Eurasia.
Alhazen and illustrations of his pinhole camera designs and experiments.
Diagram of rectilinear propagation of light
Da Vinci's illustrations of light and pinhole cameras
Leonardo Da Vinci
Period 4
1450 CE - 1750 CE
Leonardo Da Vinci published his Codex atlanticus in 1485. In it he includes illustrations supporting Alhazen's theory of rectilinear propagation, following his own experimentation. He also used the pinhole camera to study perspective, which is an important concept that arose during the Renaissance era. In 1604 CE, German mathematician and scientist Johannes Kepler coins the term Camera Obscura for the pinhole camera. In 1685 CE Johann Zahn's Oculus Artificialis Teledioptricus Sive Telescopium contains descriptions and diagrams of the camera obscura. Finally in the early 1700's CE, many believe the Dutch Masters, such as Johannes Vermeer, used the pinhole camera to create the meticulous detail found in their paintings.
Johannes Kepler
Johann Zahn's illustration of the Camera Obscura
Johannes Vermeer's Officer and Laughing Girl
Period 5
1750 CE - 1900 CE
The first photograph ever!
Antoine Claudet
An image of a modern darkroom, using Claudet's red light method
Calotype of the sphinx and pyramids in Egypt
Albumen paper print
Wet collodion prints
The Valley of the Shadow of Death, Roger Fenton
Cossack Bay, Balaklava, Roger Fenton
The Tombs of the Generals on Cathcart's Hill, Roger Fenton
Fading Away, Henry Peach Robinson
1827 CE marks the beginning of photography as we know it today. In that year, Joseph Nicephore Niepce produced a heliograph on a bitumen-coated metal plate, creating the first photographic image. While in the periods before people were able to view the image produced by the camera obscura, Niepce was the first to record this image. Shortly thereafter Louis Daguerre created the daguerreotype, which improved on Niepce's methods. Originally these images took hours of exposure to form an image, making them tedious and hazy. In England, Richard Beard got his hands on a daguerreotype, and hired John Frederick Godard to improve the lens and chemical processes until the exposure time was down to 1-3 minutes. After Beard, Antoine Claudet improved the lens and chemicals further, narrowing the exposure time to 20-40 seconds. Claudet is also responsible for first using a red light in a chemical darkroom. This is an important concept as red light does not affect the chemicals used in photography (until much later when color film is developed), and thus is still used in black and white film darkrooms today.
In 1840 CE, the calotype is invented by Talbot, in which latent images are produced on sheets of paper. This is an important transition, as prior to Talbot's development, images were being produced on metal sheets. The use of the latent image allowed larger images to be printed in just one minute.
In 1842 and 1843, the first weekly newspapers with photographs appear. The Illustrated London News and L’Illustration, based in Paris both began including photographs in their papers, albeit with terrible image quality due to pioneer reproduction techniques.
Sir David Brewster improved upon the stereoscope in 1849, although it was invented by English physicist Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1832. The stereoscope consisted of two lateral images held in a pair of glasses, so that the viewer had a three dimensional experience. In 1851, Queen Victoria demonstrated growing interest in the stereoscope by showcasing it at her Crystal Palace Exhibition that year.
By 1850 New York City had 77 daguerreotype studios, a process that remained popular despite other photographic developments of the time. Also in this year, Louis-Désiré Blanquart-Evrard developed albumen paper, which slowly prints without the usage of chemicals. This method quickly replaced Talbot’s salt paper method.
Frederick Scott Archer developed the wet collodion process in 1851, which created glass negatives. Paper prints could be easily made and the process was unpatented, making it insanely popular. Its drawback was that the photographer had to sensitize the glass plate, take the photo, and develop it, all before the plate dried out. If the plate dried out, the chemical processes that develop latent images would not work. Additionally the glass plate did not react equally to the entire color spectrum. However its much improved detail caused it to rival and then surpass the daguerreotype.
In 1853 Eliphalet Brown Jr accompanied Commodore Perry to Japan and created daguerreotypes there, documenting their travels and interactions.
Roger Fenton traveled to Crimea to photograph the Crimean War in 1855. He came out of it with 360 photos, creating the first large scale visual documentation of war. His photographs were requested by the American government to counter British claims of military mismanagement and unsanitary living conditions for soldiers. James Robertson also photographed the Crimean War, and in 1857 photographed the aftermath of the Indian Mutiny.
Henry Peach Robinson created his famous image Fading Away by layering five negatives. It was controversial for two reasons, the first being the implied authenticity of photography. Although paintings before his time had covered far more sensitive topics, the veracity of Robinson's image upset many critics. Additionally he believed photography should be manipulated and retouched like other forms of artwork in order to be true art. This was later contested by artists who claimed that the truthfulness of photography should be maintained, and does not make it any less of an art form.
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Matthew Brady and a crew of twenty other photographers took it upon themselves to photograph the atrocities.
An example of a daguerreotype photo
An illustration of the daguerreotype machine
Since calotypes print as negatives, Talbot had to reverse the image to create the real image
Stereoscope of the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851
Women coating paper in albumen solution
The wet collodion process
Brown's image of Commodore Perry's landing in Simoda, Japan
Officers of the 90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers) Light Infantry, Roger Fenton
Men Seated by Railroad Bed Under Construction Next to Balaklava Harbor
Group of the 47th Regiment in Winter Dress, Roger Fenton
“Mr. Brady has done something to bring home to us the terrible reality and earnestness of war. If he has not brought bodies and laid them in our dooryards and along the streets, he has done something very like it.…It seems somewhat singular that the same sun that looked down on the faces of the slain, blistering them, blotting out from the bodies all semblance to humanity, and hastening corruption, should have thus caught their features upon canvas, and given them perpetuity for ever. But so it is.” - The New York Times 1862
Toddlers living in Barnardo's home for children
Dry plate negatives
Crater of Castle Geyser, William Henry Jackson
A boy and several men pause from their work inside a sweatshop. 1889. by Jacob Riis
Muybridge's animals in motion
One of the drawbacks of photography as an art form at the time was the apparent lack of color. Although it was available before (as seen above), in the 1870s, artists began to hand color photos by tinting the black and white images with
acrylic and oil paints by popular demand.
Also during the 1870s John Barnardo photographed homeless children, inspiring him to found a home for those children. His images are noteworthy on their own, but were
especially influential as they fulfilled record keeping needs. They also spurred forward fundraising efforts on the children's behalf.
In 1871 Richard Leach Maddox developed the dry plate, which eliminated the need for a portable darkroom. Prior processes required that the images be developed immediately after being taken, whereas Maddox's dry plates could be developed at anytime. They became popular around 1878 when factories began mass producing dry plates.
Throughout the 1870s and 1880s William Henry Jackson photographed the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone River, which causing public interest, and eventually campaigns, to set aside land for Yellowstone National Park.
Jacob Riis spent the 1880's photographing slum life in New York City. This led to several slum clearing projects in the city as people saw the squalor of fellow citizens.
In 1880 the first motion picture was produced at the San Francisco Art Association. Eadweard Muybridge had taken photos of a horse in motion by setting up 12-24 cameras on trip wires and catching each position of the horses trot and gallop. Critics contested the authenticity of the images, arguing that the positioning and anatomy of the horse's legs in the image contrasted previously accepted diagrams. To prove the authenticity of his photos Muybridge showed his photos in quick succession before an audience in San Francisco, creating the first motion picture. Later in 1884 and 1885, Muybridge presented an exhibition with 781 photographs of people and animals in motion at the University of Pennsylvania.
Reverend Hannibal Goodwin developed transparent plastic dry film in New Jersey in 1887. This made way for the creation of the famous Kodak camera, by George Eastman, in 1888. It quickly became popular as photography was no longer bulky (no tripods or portable darkrooms) and amateurs could take up to 100 pictures with a Kodak camera, to have them developed by Eastman's factories.
Images of the children living in Barnardo's home, available for foster homes
Mary's Bay Yellowstone Lake, William Henry Jackson
A young girl, holding a baby, sits in a doorway next to a garbage can. Circa 1890. by Jacob Riis
The Horse in Motion by Eadweard Muybridge
The original Kodak camera
Also in 1888 was the perfection of the halftone printing process and the first issue of the National Geographic journal. The former was developed by an American newspaper, and rendered newspaper illustrators obsolete as photographs took the spot of sketches in newspapers. The halftone printing process allowed cheap reproduction of photographs in newspapers. The first issue of National Geographic in this year was also monumental, as it was and continues to be a source of striking images of people and cultures around the world.
Haymaker with Rake by
Peter Henry Emerson
Flinders Petrie's photo of an Egyptian statue
Two Sepoys of the 31st Native
Infantry, Who Were Hanged at
Lucknow, 1857 by Felice Beato
Remember Robinson? The artist who photographed the image Fading Away?In 1889 Peter Emerson published Naturalistic Photography. He juxtaposed Robinson's claim that photography should be retouched like other art forms, stating that it should be authentic. He argued that photography was an art in its own right, and its veracity was a part of that.
Throughout the 1890s.the camera obscura remained popular despite the new developments in photography. It was used for educational and entertainment purposes, and even classic photography. Flinders Petrie used a pinhole camera to photograph his archaeological digs in Egypt during this time.
Throughout this time period, photography was used to document conflicts arising in Africa and Asia, as areas began to revolt against European imperialism.
Yokohama from the Bluff by Felice Beato
Pond in Winter by Peter Henry Emerson
Flinders Petrie's image of an Egyptian statue, using a mirror to show the back
Interior of the Secundrabagh after the Slaughter of 2,000 Rebels, Lucknow by Felice Beato, 1858
Figure Decorative by Rene Le Begue
Old Cronies by Ralph Winwood Robinson
Blind by Paul Strand
New Objectivity photography by Albert Renger Patzsch
Period 6
1900 CE - 2019 CE
Throughout the 1890s and early 1900s, a movement dubbed Pictoralism
began to affect the photographic community. The idea behind it was to validate photography as more than just science, and a type of art in its own right. However Pictorialism still demanded photos be retouched as if they were paintings. New societies, such as the Brotherhood of the Linked Ring began to form and expand throughout the photographic community world wide. Centered in Europe, this movement brought together all types of artists in an effort to gain recognition for the uniqueness of their artwork.
A great example of the rise of Pictoralism was the efforts of Alfred Stieglitz's. In 1902 he opened The Little Galleries of the Photo Secession in New York City, and by 1917 had published 50 issues of Camera Work. Both the gallery and the magazine included every form of art, but Stieglitz emphasized photography. Both the gallery and the magazine ended in 1917 as they only consisted of the work of one photographer, Paul Strand. It was the last photographer Stieglitz approved of, claiming he was the only one producing art that would make it in society.
After World War I, another movement became popular. New
Objectivity, or Precisionism, focused on photographing objects out of context. It was wildly popular after the war, and especially focused on industrial or technological objects.
In 1907, Auguste and Louis Lumière developed the first reliable method of color photography (it had been done before in 1861 after much difficulty). The public embraced their methods, shown by National Geographic's collection of 15000 autochrome plates. In 1935 Leopold Godowsky, Jr., and Leopold Mannes created Kodachrome film, which was a much better alternative but World War II prevented it from reaching the public until 1949. Kodak developed colored film cameras as well, that after 20 years of fine tuning, became one of the most popular cameras among amateur photographers.
Lewis Hine photographed child laborers in New York from 1908 to 1916. His photos resonated with the public so deeply that his images encouraged the abolition of child labor on first a state, then federal level.
In the 1920s abstract photography and montages became popular. The artist Man Ray epitomizes abstract photography, especially with his development of the rayograph, in which objects are placed directly on the enlarger in the darkroom, rather than projecting a film image on the enlarger. Meanwhile John Heartfield made commentary on Nazism with his collages and montages, while Hannah Hoch created impactful statements about women's new roles in society.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Constructivism gains popularity. The idea. started by Aleksandr Rodchenko in the USSR, was meant to focus on photographing mundane objects and reframing them in new light. The idea quickly spread throughout the world, notably embraced by László Moholy-Nagy (Hungarian), Yasuzō Nojima and Shinzō Fukuhara (Japan).
In 1924 and 1925, the Ermanox and Leica cameras were developed. Their shortened shutter speeds encouraged candid photography, and made more impactful images. A great example is Henry Cartier-Bresson's Children in Seville, Spain.
Group f.64 was founded in 1932, and was one of the most influential photographic societies. The name references the aperture number artists used in order to give their images great depth of field. Edward Weston created the organization in direct protest of Pictorialism, claiming that to be its own art photography should maintain its natural authenticity. Images produced by members of Group f.64 were always raw and untouched. Ansel Adams, one of the most famous artists in the photography world, was a member of Group f.64. His dramatic images of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and Yosemite National Park boosted conservation efforts as people were awestruck by his work.
Photographers continued to document the world around them in order to showcase the struggle or triumph of their small corner of the earth. Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother remains one of the most impactful photos from this period, powerfully portraying the
struggle of the Great Depression.
Study of a Head by Robert Demachy
Rouen by Robert Demachy
Scurrying Home by Alfred Stieglitz
New Objectivity photography by Edward Weston
Merchants sit by their stand of honeycakes in Bombay, circa 1912
The first color photograph in 1861
One of the spinners in Whitnel Cotton Mill. She was 51 inches high. Has been in the mill one year. Sometimes works at night. Runs 4 sides - 48 cents a day. When asked how old she was, she hesitated, then said, "I don't remember," then added confidentially, "I'm not old enough to work, but do just the same." Out of 50 employees, there were ten children about her size. Whitnel, North Carolina.
11 a.m. Newsies at Skeeter's Branch. They were all smoking. St. Louis, Missouri.
Furman Owens, 12 years old. Can't read. Doesn't know his A,B,C's. Said, "Yes I want to learn but can't when I work all the time." Been in the mills 4 years, 3 years in the Olympia Mill. Columbia, South Carolina.
One of the spinners in Whitnel Cotton Mill. She was 51 inches high. Has been in the mill one year. Sometimes works at night. Runs 4 sides - 48 cents a day. When asked how old she was, she hesitated, then said, "I don't remember," then added confidentially, "I'm not old enough to work, but do just the same." Out of 50 employees, there were ten children about her size. Whitnel, North Carolina.
The Kiss by Man Ray, rayograph
Ingres's Violin by Man Ray
“Whoever Reads Bourgeois Newspapers Becomes Blind and Deaf: Away with These Stultifying Bandages!” by John Heartfield
Pioneer by Aleksandr Rodchenko
Indian Dancer by Hannah Hoch
Children in Seville, Spain by Henry Cartier-Bresson
Lake Tenaya by Edward Weston
Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico by Ansel Adams
Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park by Ansel Adams
The Tetons and Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming by Ansel Adams
Ancienne esclave à la longue mémoire, Alabama, 1938 by Dorothea Lange
Ditched, Stalled and Stranded by Dorothea Lange
"I believe that the camera is a powerful medium for communication and I believe that the camera is a valuable tool for social research which has not been developed to its capacity."
Dorothea Lange
Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange
Parade, Hoboken, New Jersey by Robert Frank
After World War II a couple new popular trends occurred in photography. Abstract photography makes a comeback, as the photographic community argues that the veracity of photography should not prevent their art from having hidden messages and deeper meanings. Additionally street photography became popular, different from documentary photography in that the photographer had no social purpose or statement. Other artists began to critique mundane aspects of their culture, such as Robert Frank's critique of American ideals. Finally two of the most famous photographers, Lisette Model and her student Diane Arbus, focused on photography people who defied normalcy.
New Orleans (Trolley) by Robert Frank
Albert-Alberta by Lisette Model
Fashion Show, Hotel Pierre, New York by Lisette Model
Jack Dracula, the Marked Man by Diane Arbus
"I really think there are things nobody would see unless I photographed them."
- Diane Arbus
Cafe Metropole by Lisette Model
Lady Bartender at Home with Souvenir Dog by Diane Arbus
The Human Pincushion, Roland C. Harrison by Diane Arbus
Kathe in the Tub by Nan Goldin
Marcado Series by Claudia Andujar. The numbers were in place for the census going on, and they reminded Andujar of Nazi camps.
Twin Prostitutes by Mary Ellen Marks
George by Aziz & Cucher
99 Cent by Andreas Gursky
Unknown by Andreas Gursky
In the 1970s and 1980s Nan Goldin and Larry Clark followed the footsteps of Model and Arbus in photographing the grittier parts of society. Goldin chose to utilize color film, which sparked a widespread usage of color in the photography world.
Beginning in the 1970s and continuing until present day, photographers utilized public interest in visual art to make statements about the world around them. A few photographers who exemplify this include Claudia Andujar (Brazil) and Graciela Iturbide (Mexico) who portrayed indigenous peoples and their customs, believing them to be marginalized by society, Don McCullin who photographed the devastation in Vietnam and Africa, and Mary Ellen Mark who photographed street performers and prostitutes in India, mental institution inmates and homeless children in Seattle. Additionally during this time period fashion magazines such as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue began photographing clothing and celebrities.
In 1972, the first digital camera was produced! Later in 1981 Sony commercialized it, but it was slow to catch on outside of photojournalists. Additionally the creation of the digital camera meant the development of digital image retouching softwares. After arguing for years about the need to preserve the veracity of photography, photographers began editing photos digital that pushed the limits of the imagination all while appearing quite real. Aziz + Cucher (Anthony Aziz and Sammy Cucher), Andreas Gursky, and Loretta Lux all pushed the boundaries on truthful photography by artistically altering their images. Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin (working together as Inez & Vinoodh) began altering fashion models to be blemish free and have smaller waistlines. This was a landmark for photography worldwide as the truthfulness of photography began to be less and less certain. In 1982 National Geographic edited an image of the pyramids in Egypt, in order to fit the horizontal photo on a vertical cover. This incident and others like it sparked a debate in the photojournalism world, ending in a code of ethics for journalists. In 1990 Adobe Photoshop was released, and since then has become the most popular photo editing software.
In the 1980s and 1990s the introduction of performance and videography in the art world allowed photography's full acceptance as an art form. Photographers such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger and Carrie Mae Weems used this new acceptance to stretch the limits of photography, making impactful statements about
society.
Tulsa by Larry Clark
Local Boys in Bradford by Don McCullin
Ward 81, Oregon State Hospital, Salem, Oregon by Mary Ellen Marks
Tiny, Halloween, Seattle by Mary Ellen Marks
May Day V by Andreas Gursky
Grace Elizabeth by Inez and Vinoodh
Kitchen Table #11 by Carrie Mae Weems
Untitled Film #21 by Cindy Sherman
Nick Marden by Robert Mapplethorpe
We Have Received Order Not to Move by Barbara Kruger
Despite the success of digital photography, film photography remained relevant in the beginning of the 21st century. During the 9/11 attacks in 2001, images were largely taken by film cameras, except a few photojournalists who had switched to digital cameras. Digitized images were much easier for journalists to reproduce and share with their newspapers.
In 2005, Google utilized the digital camera and satellites to make Google Maps, the worlds first photographic
map of the entire globe.
Apple came out with the first iPhone in 2007, marking the beginning of prolific digitized photo taking and sharing via camera phones. Social media such as Facebook and Instagram developed specifically for the sharing of photos.
Also in the 21st century came
government usage and development
of photography for facial recognition and surveillance. This took created a new form of photography in which cameras are used for security and recording devices rather than art.
Although the development of the digital camera, as well as the popularity of the digital age, largely made film photography obsolete, some artists maintained older methods of photography. These artists include Some artists still utilize old methods of photography Chuck Close, Sally Mann, Deborah Luster, Jerry Spagnoli, Chris McCaw, Alison Rossiter and many more.
Film photo of 9/11 by Robert Clark
Film photo of 9/11 by Alex Webb
The original Apple iPhone
The original Instagram and Facebook icons
Facial recognition software
By 2014 there were 245 million surveillance cameras installed globally
Kate Moss by Chuck Close
At Warm Springs by Sally Mann
Deborah Luster's One Big Self Project
Virginia at 9 by Sally Mann
Defender Argo, expired September 1911, processed 2014 by Alison Rossiter
Glasses by Jerry Spagnoli
Sixteen by Jerry Spagnoli
Sunburned by Chris McCaw
Sunburned in Artic Circle Alaska by Chris McCaw