A Chronology of Photography: A Cultural Timeline From Camera Obscura to Instagram

by Paul Lowe

A rich and fresh perspective on the history of photography, tracing the complex links between technological innovation, social change, and artistic intervention. As a medium of documentation, social commentary, commercial marketing, artistic exploration, and self-expression over the last two centuries, photography has in many ways defined the way we view ourselves and the world around us. A Chronology of Photography traces the development of the medium from early experiments with optics by artists and scientists, through the birth of photography in 1839, with the innovations of Louis Daguerre and Henry Fox Talbot, right up to the present-day explosion of digital media, with Instagram and the selfie dominating visual discourse. Providing a unique timeline framework and in-depth commentary, this volume takes a purely chronological approach to present a fresh social, political, and cultural perspective on the subject. Tracing the complex links between technological innovation, social change, and artistic intervention, A Chronology of Photography is an invaluable and comprehensive overview of photography’s history including deeper explorations of key themes and moments. 350 color illustrations

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art

272 pages, Hardcover

Published January 8, 2019

About the author

Paul Lowe was a British photographer, educator, writer and critic. He was awarded the Royal Photographic Society's Vic Odden Award in 1999.

Reviews

[Folkert Wierda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chronology is an easy way of presenting a subject. This overview of photography uses the backdrop of historical, technological and social events to present the history of photography. It was fascinating to notice the transfer from “history” to “memory”, for me around the mid sixties. In hindsight it is amazing ho much photography has changed during our lifetime. I started with Tri-X film, self developing and printing in the darkroom. Cameras were first my dad’s Voigtländer, then the Lubitel-2 (6 x 6) and Zenith. Today’s arsenal of Canons, GoPro, Samsung camera phone and DJI drone, combined with digital image processing and Internet sharing are so different from when we started. Still the moment has to be recognized and caught. This book presents both the revolution and the continuity in a very nice way.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

following a strict linear chronology doesn't work so smoothly with history of photo professors in general (like myself). It's not the best tool for faculty when presenting chronology by themes or have multiple photography history courses (where they are split by modernism/date range) - but this book is a great supplement for students who want that photo centric narrative that is purely surrounded by photographic icons.
This is great for a class that has history I and II combined as well - where photo is distilled a bit because of lack of time on the subject matter :)

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all the books I've read on photography, this one is by far my favourite. It has a lot of quality photography reproductions as well as stories about photography with historical context. It highlights icons and cultural events that shaped photography and vice versa. It's concise but has a very interesting approach with presenting a long and rich history of photography. This book is a great way for somebody who's just picked up photography to get to know the key moments and people who helped to shape the craft.

[Liselotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was so interesting! I really loved reading this one, I learned quite a bit and I highly recommend this book if you are into the history of photography but don't know where to start!