Research Guides: Photograph Basics: Overview of Photography

Rare and Distinctive Collections

Classroom: Norlin N345

Reading Room: Norlin M350B

General History of Photography

Photographs are still images produced on light-sensitive materials and also includes images stored digitally.

Getty's Art & Architecture Thesaurus gives this definition.

Refers to still images produced from radiation-sensitive materials (sensitive to light, electron beams, or nuclear radiation), generally by means of the chemical action of light on a sensitive film, paper, glass, or metal. Photographs may be positive or negative, opaque or transparent. The concept does not include reproductive prints of documents and technical drawings, for which descriptors found under "<reprographic copies>" are more appropriate. The concept may include photographs made by digital means.

Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus Online. "photographs", 2004, http://vocab.getty.edu/page/aat/300046300

What is it made out of?

There are delicate layers of materials in both film and photographic prints. The figure below explores what most film layers consist of.

Figure 1.

Rapid identification of cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate film in historic photograph collections. Carter, Elizabeth & Swarbrick, Brad & Harrison, Therese & Ronai, Lucilla. (2020). Heritage Science. 8. 10.1186/s40494-020-00395-y

Documented inventors of photography

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first documented photographic print from a heliographic process taken out of a window in France in 1826.
Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerrein 1839 created a practical method for capturing images.
Henry Fox Talbot invented the salted paper and calotype process in 1840s
George Eastman developed a flexible film in the 1890s.
Edwin Land creates the dye diffusion transfer print, commonly known as instant photography or the Polaroid in 1947.
Steven Sasson, who was working for Eastman Kodak Company, created the digital camera in 1975.

Publications

An Alternative History of Photography by Phillip Prodger
ISBN: 9783791387826
Publication Date: 2022-11-08
A look at the history of photography integrates the landmark discoveries of recent decades to chart new pathways that encompass overlooked artists, traditions, and techniques. The real history of photography is a vast collection of inter-connected stories stretching from East Asia to West Africa, from New Zealand to Uzbekistan. It parallels acknowledged greats with forgotten masters, and lesser-known works with regional champions. It is a complex interplay of fine art, scientific, anthropological, documentary, and amateur traditions forged by women and men alike. this book will prove essential reading for those looking for an introduction to the field, as well as informed readers looking for more complete knowledge.
Global Photography by Erina Duganne; Heather Diack; Terri Weissman
ISBN: 9781000185003
Publication Date: 2020-06-08
This innovative text recounts the history of photography through a series of thematically structured chapters. Designed and written for students studying photography and its history, each chapter approaches its subject by introducing a range of international, contemporary photographers and then contextualizing their work in historical terms. The book offers students an accessible route to gain an understanding of the key genres, theories and debates that are fundamental to the study of this rich and complex medium. Individual chapters cover major topics, including: · Description and Abstraction · Truth and Fiction · The Body · Landscape · War · Politics of Representation · Form · Appropriation · Museums · The Archive · The Cinematic · Fashion Photography
A History of Photography by Francoise Heilbrun; Hélène Bocard (Text by); Joelle Bollach (Text by); Anne Cartier-Bresson (Text by); Dominique De Font-Reaulx (Text by)
ISBN: 9782080300928
Publication Date: 2009-06-16
This comprehensive book traces the origins and progression of photography from its humble beginnings in daguerreotypes to the gradual mastering of photographic portraits, techniques, and negatives. The wider use of photography in journalism, for documenting architecture and art movements, and its capacity to produce piercing perspectives on the social and political climate of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are all carefully evaluated, as well as the work of amateurs such as Zola who tried their hand at this revolutionary art form.
History of Photography by Laurent P. Roosens
ISBN: 0720121523
Publication Date: 1994-11-01
a bibliography of books
History of Photography by Peter Turner
ISBN: 0671089234
Publication Date: 1987-01-01
The History of Photography by Beaumont Newhall
ISBN: 0870703803
Publication Date: 1982-10-01
A history of photography that gives many prints representing the best from the past and present.
History of photography.
Call Number: TR15 .H58
Publication Date: 1977-
"An international quarterly."
Photographs by Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler; Diane Vogt-O'Connor
ISBN: 1931666172
Publication Date: 2006-07-01
A manual that discusses the care and management of photographs.
Photography: History and Theory by Jae Emerling
ISBN: 9781136521164
Publication Date: 2013-03-01
Photography: History and Theory introduces students to both the history of photography and critical theory. From its inception in the nineteenth century, photography has instigated a series of theoretical debates. In this new text, Jae Emerling therefore argues that the most insightful way to approach the histories of photography is to address simultaneously the key events of photographic history alongside the theoretical discourse that accompanied them.
A World History of Photography by Naomi Rosenblum
ISBN: 0789209462
Publication Date: 2008-01-29
Naomi Rosenblum's classic text investigates all aspects of photography -- aesthetic, documentary, commercial, and technical -- while placing photos in their historical context. Authoritative and unbiased, Rosenblum's chronicle of photography both chronologically and thematically traces the evolution of this still-young art form. Exploring the diverse roles that photography has played in the communication of ideas, Rosenblum devotes special attention to topics such as portraiture, documentation, advertising, and photojournalism, and to the camera as a means of personal artistic expression. The revised fourth edition includes updates on technical advances as well as a new chapter on contemporary photographers.

Websites

Morgan Breitenstein. "Historic photographic processes in a nutshell." Denver Public Library, 2016, https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/photos/historic-photographic-processes-nutshell, 12 December 2024

Eastman Museum. "Photographic processes video series & glossary." Eastman Museum. 2022, https://www.eastman.org/processvideos, 12 December 2024

John Hunter. "Chronology of photographic processes." National Park Service Conserve O Grams 14/3. July 1993, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/museums/conserve-o-grams.htm, 12 December 2024

The New York Public Library. "An introduction to photographic process." The New York Public Library, 2024, https://www.nypl.org/collections/nypl-recommendations/guides/photographic-processes, 12 December 2024

Gawain Weaver. "Library." Gawain Weaver Art Conservation. 2008-2024, https://gawainweaver.com/library/, 12 December 2024

Overview of photography by George Easton Museum Series

Here are some general timelines with historical dates courtesy of NYPL, Conserve O Gram 14/3 and National Parks Service. For more information about these subjects please explore these sites.

**Timeline 1839-1880**
Dates	What	Description
1839	Daguerreotype	daguerreotype process is made public in France
1840	Salt paper print	paper negative invented by William Henry Fox Talbot
1842	Cyanotype	Sir John Herschel invented the cyanotype
1849	Stereoscopic image	advent of the twin-lens camera and the development of the stereoscopic image
1880	Glass plate negative	introduction of the glass plate negative process

**Timeline 1889-1935**
Dates	What	Description
1887	Cellulose negative	introduction of cellulose photographic film negative
1888	Kodak box camera	introduction of the Kodak box camera simplifies photography and casual "snapshot" photography was born
1889	Cellulose nitrate roll film	introduction by Eastman Kodak Company (not 35mm)
1895	Cellulose nitrate motion picture film	introduced
1920s	Color photographic process	advent of the carbro print- the first full color photographic process
1933	Discontinuation nitrate x-ray film
1935	Color film	development of Kodachrome film - the first multi-layered color film (cellulose acetate base)

**Timeline 1935-1955**
Date	What	Description
circa 1935	Agfa, Defender, DuPont Defender and Hammer produced cellulose diacetate films
1938	Discontinuation of 35mm cellulose nitrate film roll	however, still photographers were known to use cellulose nitrate 35mm motion picture film after this date
1939	Discontinuation of portrait and commercial cellulose nitrate sheet film
1942	Discontinuation of cellulose nitrate aerial film
1947	Polaroid invented	Edwin Land creates the dye diffusion transfer print, commonly known as instant photography or the Polaroid
1949	Discontinuation of cellulose nitrate film packs
1951	Discontinuation of cellulose nitrate motion picture film	other companies other than Kodak may have produced it into the late 1950s
1955	First polyester-based films
1963	Polaroid color camera released

Timeline 1975-1994

Date	Description
1975	Steven Sasson, who was working for Eastman Kodak Company, created the first digital camera
1984	Canon demonstrates the first digital electronic still camera
1990	first digital cameras are available on the retail market
1992	Kodak introduces the first PhotoCD
1994	sale of the first consumer-level digital camera able to work with a home computer

Graphics Atlas provides a database and references to identifying prints.

Guidelines for Care & Identification of Film-Base Photographic Materials, by Monique C. Fischer, Andrew Robb at the Art Conservation Program at the University of Delaware, Winterthur Museum, 1993

Archivist's Tools and Tips online provides a chart to help identify notches in film.

National Parks Conserve O Gram 14-9 provides information on identifying film based photographic materials.

Basics:

Do not touch the surface of a photograph with your bare hands. Even if you wash your hands, they still generate oils. Your fingerprints will eventually eat away at the surface of a photograph and damage the image.
Keep away from light. Light will fade a photograph, and the heat generated will from the light source will accelerate the deterioration of the image.
Keep dirt and dust away from photographs. Dirt and dust contain chemicals that can react to the materials in a photograph. Mitigate this by storing materials in archival enclosures.
Do not store photographs in humid and hot conditions. Attics and basements should be avoided if possible.
- Fluctuations in temperature and humidity causes instability in the chemicals that make up a photograph. The chemical process that made the photograph can be reinitiated when there are fluctuations and can damage or destroy a photograph.
Contain photographs in acid free/lignin free materials. If you put a photograph next to acidic materials like newsprint the acid in the paper will stain or otherwise react to the photograph causing irreversible damage.
- Fun fact: Did you know that acid free paper can reacidify if there is lignin in the paper? Ask for lignin free when storing archival materials.
Identify your photographs if you want them to be useful in the future. If nobody knows what Great Aunt Tilly looks like but you, once you are not around, she might end up at a flea market or worse.

Publications:

The Care of Photographs by Siegfried Rempel
ISBN: 0941130487
Publication Date: 1987-09-01
Coatings on Photographs by Constance McCabe; American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Photographic Materials Group Staff (Contribution by)
ISBN: 0976050102
Publication Date: 2005-09-01
Coma 2013 by Hilke Arijs
ISBN: 9781443870962
Publication Date: 2014-12-01
CoMa 2013: Safeguarding Image Collections"" international conference held in Brussels, on 31 October 2013, and offers the reader not only a wide variety of subjects relating to the preservation of image collections, but also an overview of the different professions and practices involved in the preservation of photographic heritage.
Conservation of Photographs by Eastman Kodak Company Staff
ISBN: 0879853522
Publication Date: 1998-06-01
Technical and professional information on the stability of the photographic image, both black-and-white and color. Recommended for anyone interested in photo preservation and fine-art photography. Covers restoration of deteriorated images, preservation through reproduction, storage, display, and more.
The Digital Print by Martin C. Jürgens
ISBN: 9780892369607
Publication Date: 2009-08-25
This invaluable resource demystifies the complex, rapidly changing, and sometimes confusing world of digital print technologies. It describes the major digital printing processes used by photographers and artists over the past forty years, explaining and illustrating materials and their deterioration, methods of identification, and options for acquiring and preserving digital prints. A removable chart provides a ready reference for identifying specific materials. Anyone involved in identifying and preserving digital prints--from conservators, curators, archivists, and registrars to photographers, artists, and printing studios--will welcome this comprehensive, one-of-a-kind volume.
Fundamentals of photograph conservation : a study guide by Klaus B. Hendricks ... [et al.]
ISBN: 0921633807
Publication Date: 1991
A Guide to the Preventive Conservation of Photograph Collections by Bertrand Lavédrine; Jean-Paul Gandolfo (As told to); Sibylle Monod (As told to); Sharon Grevet
ISBN: 0892367016
Publication Date: 2003-09-25
More than 30 years of continuing research into the preservation of photographic collections have led to a better understanding of the fragility of these images and the means by which to preserve them. A resource for the photographic conservator, conservation scientist, curator, as well as professional collector, this volume synthesizes both the enormous amount of research that has been completed to date and the international standards that have been established on the subject.
Issues in the Conservation of Photographs by Debra Norris (Editor); Jennifer Jae Gutierrez (Editor)
ISBN: 9781606060001
Publication Date: 2010-07-13
Issues in the Conservation of Photographs is the first publication to chronicle the emergence and systematic development of photograph conservation as a profession. In seventy-two essential texts from the nineteenth century to the present day, this anthology collects key writings that have influenced both the philosophical and the practical aspects of conserving photographic materials. The materials were carefully selected by the editors along with an advisory board of international experts and include some--particularly the lectures, memos, and letters--that have never been published. Many of the topics--safe environmental parameters, silver image permanence, and proper treatment methods--have been debated since the introduction of photography. By promoting an understanding of these issues, this volume seeks to advance the education of rising conservation professionals, inspire new scholarship, and contribute to the field's ongoing evolution.
Photographs by Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler; Diane Vogt-O'Connor
ISBN: 1931666172
Publication Date: 2006-07-01
A manual that discusses the care and management of photographs.
Photographs of the Past by Bertand Lavédrine; Michel Frizot; Jean-Paul Gandolfo; Sibylle Monod; John P. McElhone
ISBN: 9780892369577
Publication Date: 2009-08-31
In recent years, interest in old photographs has grown significantly among a broad public, from collectors, conservators, and archivists to amateurs seeking to preserve precious family albums. Although the medium of photography is barely 150 years old, its relatively brief history has witnessed the birth of a wide range of photographic processes, each of which poses unique conservation challenges. Photographs of the Past: Processes and Preservation provides a comprehensive introduction to the practice of photograph preservation, bringing together more information on photographic processes than any other single source. Introductory chapters cover issues of terminology; the rest of the book is divided into three parts: positives, negatives, and conservation. Each chapter focuses on a single process--daguerreotypes, albumen negatives, black-and-white prints, and so on--providing an overview of its history and materials and tracing the evolution of its technology. This book will serve as an irreplaceable reference work for conservators, curators, collectors, dealers, conservation students, and photographers, as well as those in the general public seeking information on preserving this ubiquitous form of cultural heritage.
Twentieth-Century Color Photographs by Sylvie Pénichon; Sylvie Pénichon
ISBN: 9781606061565
Publication Date: 2013-10-01
With the advent of digital imaging, the era of traditional color photography is coming to an end. Yet more than 150 years after the invention of color photography, museums, archives, and personal collections are full of images to be cherished, studied, and preserved. These photographs, often made with processes and materials no longer used or easily identified, constitute an important part of the cultural and artistic heritage of the twentieth century. Today it is more important than ever to capture the technical understanding of the processes that created these irreplaceable images. In providing an accessible overview of the history and technology of the major traditional color photographic processes, this abundantly illustrated volume promises to become the standard reference in its field. Following an introductory chapter on color photography in the nineteenth century, seven uniformly structured chapters discuss the most commercially or historically significant processes of the twentieth century--additive color screen, pigment, dye imbibition, dye coupling, dye destruction, dye diffusion, and dye mordanting and silver toning--offering readers a user-friendly guide to materials, methods of identification, and common kinds of deterioration. A final chapter presents specific guidelines for collection management, storage, and preservation. There is also a glossary of technical terms, along with appendixes presenting detailed chronologies for Kodachrome and Ektachrome transparencies, Cibachrome/Ilfochrome printing materials, and Instant films. This book will interest instructors and students in classroom settings; conservators, registrars, curators, archivists, and collection caretakers; and anyone else concerned with the long-term preservation of color photographs.