Every time you pick up your camera, you are participating in nearly two centuries of technological and artistic innovation. The history of photography is a winding path full of mad scientists, boisterous critics, and groundbreaking artists. While you are home, why not binge on the stories that have come to make photography such an influential way of seeing and representing the world? Here are some places to get started.
Historical Processes
Before cameras became miniature computers, the leading voices in photo technology belonged to chemists and physicists. Photography’s early history is a blend of innovation and drama as inventors vie for recognition and critics argue over the merits of the medium. An introduction to some of the most significant milestones of early photography can be found in Explora’s “Historical Processes” series which includes features on the daguerreotype, salted paper print, cyanotype, albumen print, and tintype. To see demonstrations of these processes in action, the George Eastman House has a series of informative videos accessible here and The B&H Photography Podcast has also recorded episodes with the Penumbra Foundation about its alternative process workshops and “frankencamera” collection.
Classic Cameras
If you are more interested in the changes in camera design over time, you will want to take a look at Explora’s ever-growing “Classic Camera” series of articles, dedicated to vintage cameras. It is here that you can learn the backstories behind some of the most beloved analog cameras, such as the Nikon F, Canon AE-1, Pentax K1000, Hasselblad 500C/M, and many others.
Trends and Movements
Maybe you are less invested in technology and more curious about how photography has been used in the art world. There are a number of places online that offer essays and chronologies written by scholars on the relationship between photography and art movements over the 19th and 20th centuries. One favorite among art historians is Smarthistory. Offering a blend of essays and videos not limited to photography, Smarthistory publishes content focused on single photographs (e.g. Carrie Mae Weems’ Untitled (Woman Feeding Bird)) as well as collective movements (e.g. Surrealist Photography). Every piece is authored by an expert on its content, making for concise and informative resources.
Another great place to learn about photography’s role relative to larger histories of art is the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art. In addition to providing essays tailored to niche topics (e.g. 19th Century West African Photography, Photography and the Civil War, the Düsseldorf School), each essay is illustrated with works from the museum’s collection that in turn can provide even more specific information.
Another esteemed institution, the Museum of Modern Art, has teamed up with the learning platform Coursera to create an entire online course dedicated to photography, entitled “Seeing Through Photographs,” for those who prefer a more structured approach to learning. Led by MoMA curator Sarah Meister, “you will look closely at photographs from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art and hear a variety of perspectives on what a photograph is and the ways that photography has been used throughout its nearly 180 year history: as a means of artistic expression, as a tool for science and exploration; as an instrument of documentation; to tell stories and record histories; and as a mode of communication and critique in our ever increasingly visual culture.” For younger audiences, the Aperture Foundation has created a curriculum: “On-Sight: Teaching Visual Literacy Through Photography” aimed at students between grades 6 and 12, that consists of a whopping twenty 75-minute long lessons.
Contemporary Photographers
Jumping into the present, B&H Explora offers a wealth of interviews and studio visits with contemporary photographers. The B&H Photography Podcast is a comprehensive resource for interviews and discussion panels with photographers of every kind, from fine art to documentary to wildlife and more. Finally, “What is Photography?” introduces the ideas of some of the leading photographers practicing today.
The Aperture Foundation has many interviews and conversations with contemporary photographers uploaded here. If photojournalism is more your speed, Magnum Photos has work and information about its artists for study here. Given the closure of nearly all galleries and museums right now, many institutions have made their exhibitions accessible online, making it easier to gallery hop around the world than ever before. Photograph magazine is an excellent resource for staying up to date on what exhibitions are currently showing. Check here to find links to shows, many of which can now be experienced online.
What is your favorite place to learn about photo history? Share suggestions in the Comments section, below.