Help

Course Information

Topics in Modern Art: History ofPhotography (AHS 3416)

Term: 2026-27 Fall

Faculty

Katherine White
Email address is hidden, click here to email

Schedule

Thu, 3:30 PM - 6:20 PM (8/24/2026 - 12/11/2026) Location: MAIN DH 103

Description

[Modern] This course is a study of the history of photography as an artistic medium from its invention in the nineteenth century until present day. We will dive into how varying methods are used to fix light onto a surface to form an image, including their respective benefits and technical limitations. To do so, we will look at daguerreotype, calotype, cyanotype, wet-plate, dry-plate, and digital photographs, among others. We will also consider the history of photography as art, examining such movements as early studio portrait photography, pictorialism, straight photography, documentary photography, and more. Students will gain the chance to examine the origins and development of a medium now ubiquitous in our daily lives.