ARTH 267 Aspects of the History of Photography

• Tuesdays, 8:45-11:15 am
• Course delivery: Online
• Instructor: Stéphanie Hornstein

Grounded in the idea that photography is a social practice as well as an art form, this course will present a range of events and objects selected from the history of photography. This survey is to be understood as an introductory gateway to the vast and varied discipline of photography—it makes no pretence at being comprehensive. Through broadly chronological and thematic lectures, students will become acquainted with key figures and movements, as well as with some lesser-known formats, genres, and historically marginalized practitioners that fall by the wayside of canonical narratives. The general public’s engagement with photography from the medium’s inception to today will also form an important focus of this class. Beyond providing a firm historical basis from which all kinds of photographs can be interpreted, this course is designed to help students think critically about photography as a tool that served and continues to serve several purposes from commemoration to colonization, from science to advertisement, from illustration to art.