The Evolution of Photography in the U.S.

The Evolution of Photography in the United States

Photography is the method of creating pictures through collecting light on a light-sensitive material such as a film in modern techniques and albumin in early methodologies . Patterns of light mirrored or transmitted from items are recorded onto a sensitive material or storage medium after exposure in an appropriate length of time (Rosenblum , 1997 Frizot , 1998

The word photography literally means drawing with light ' from the Greek words phos ' which means light , and graphis ' which refers to stylus or paintbrush . Photograph ' is the term

used to call the product of photography which can be abbreviated as photo ' and is oftentimes referred to as picture ' In the advent of the digital age a new term , image ' is gaining more usage in place of photograph photo or picture (Mora , 1998

The evolution of modern photography started in the 1820s when chemical photography first came into existence . Nicephore Niepce , a French inventor , produced the first permanent photograph in 1826 . The image he produced required eight hours of exposure , highlighting the need for new faster techniques . He collaborated with Louis Daguerre using silver compounds which resulted in the development of the daguerreotype Hercules Florence and William Fox Talbot apparently were working with similar methodology at that time while John Herschel contributed to further development and coined the terms photography ' positive and negative ' In the nineteenth century , more improvements in the materials used such as glass plates and the printing process itself George Eastman invented the first form of film which replaced the photographic glass plates . Photographic films are still in use today but digital photography is fast gaining broader patronage due to the rapid technological advances (Leggat , 1995 Marien , 2002

The United States of America has a rich history parallel to the evolution of photography from its introduction in the 1800 's up to the present . The following is a chronological of recognized photographs illustrating the transition in materials , process and styles of American photographers from 1870 to the contemporary . The works featured in this include Robert S . Redfield 's A Cider Mill Near Lake Warramaug ' 1890 platinum print , Dr . James Leon Williams ' The Old Lock at Welford ' 1892 photogravure , Clarence H . White 's What Was It Trying To Remind Me Of ' 1903 collodion print , Francis Brugiere 's The Golden Gate ' 1915 autochrome , A . Aubrey Bodine 's Builders in Line 1961 gelatin silver print , and Scott Mutter 's untitled 1975 gelatine-silver print photomontage (American Photography Museum , 1999 Above is a photograph created by Robert S . Redfield in 1890 . It was a platinum print entitled A Cider Mill Near Lake Warramaug ' from Redfield 's personal album . Redfield was a Photo-Secession founding member , an organizer of a movement to recognize photography as an art in his time and Photographic Society of Philadelphia President . The photograph is a fine rendition of an old cedar mill , indicative of the operation of the said industry in that period . It features two men performing their work with implements lying in around...