Photography and the Making of the Modern World

This course explores key moments in the history of photography from its inventions in the early nineteenth century to its omnipresence in the twenty-first. We will approach photography as a relational history: the product of collaborations, networks, and systems rather than select privileged makers. The course traces a loose chronology and examines case studies of and by practitioners on six continents, with attention to underrepresented groups and unknown makers. The course will culminate with students making unique contributions to a public-facing group project, enacting the individual-collective dynamic the course explores.