Photography and History

Our world is defined by photography: images, whether film or digital, teach us what exists, and what to value. This course explores photography from a historical perspective. It offers students a chance to share the excitement of research in action, on learning with rather than teaching at, as they improve their skill in 'reading' and contextualizing images while debating what truths, if any, a photographer can communicate, and how, and under what circumstances? In addition to general and theoretical readings, students will focus on 20th century Latin America as a case study by examining how journalists and advocates have used photography to document human rights violations and fuel popular insurgencies.