Images as Historical Artifacts

Worth a 1,000 words? Photographs have tremendous power to communicate information. But they also have tremendous power to communicate misinformation.

Camera never lies? “While photographs may not lie, liars may photograph.” Photo of John Kerry and Jane Fonda at the Register for Peace Rally on 13 June 1970

Objectivity of photos Photograph as reality Ingrained belief that a photograph depicts reality Need to subject photograph to the same critical evaluation as other primary sources.

Evaluation Is it authentic? Who is the creator? What is the purpose? Who is the intended audience? What is the date?

Photographer Photographer is consciously communicating to the viewer Chooses the reality to depict Subject of the photograph Purpose of the photograph

Artistic

Persuade - Sell

Emotional Reaction

Political Statement

Methods of communicating Photographer consciously decides what to photograph and how Selection of subject Selection of a photo Background or setting Caption Cropping Vary exposure or filters Examples: Walker Evans photo Dorothea Lange photos

Interpreting photos If we are to determine the meaning of a photograph we must begin by establishing the historical context for both the image and its creator. Content of the photograph Intent of the photographer

“By 1930, people really think that the photograph is the most trustworthy source of information. It’s the thing they want most. It’s the thing they believe in most. There’s no question that most ordinary Americans have been socialized in a way that says that seeing is believing, and the photograph is the most accurate way to see.”

Questions to consider What is in the photo? Where and when was this photograph taken? Who took the photo?

Questions to consider Why did the photographer select these particular elements to include in the photograph? What don't you see? Why did the photographer emphasize certain elements and not others? What's in focus?

Finding Photographs Library databases (on history subject page under “photographs & images”): Corbis AP Multimedia Web collections of photographs: UW Libraries Digital Collections American Memory

Life Magazine, 22 May 1944 Weingartner, James J. “Trophies of War: US Troops and the Mutilation of Japanese War Dead, Pacific Historical Review 61 no. 1 (1992):53-67.