The Photography of the Visual Arts, 1839-1880: Part 1

The first of a 4-part series of articles. A very well researched
and detailed look at the early history of the photographic
documentation of art and architecture. The author is especially
interested in tracing the history of the photographic
documentation of paintings and describes his frustration in
finding that much of the original material has been destroyed:
""..while 19th century photographs of architecture and sculpture
are currently seen as works of art in their own right, those
taken of paintings are seen as almost worthless documentary
records. Hence, throughout the years of the 20th century they
have almost invariably been thrown away.'' Hamber accuses art
history of neglecting the medium of photography, pointing out
that ""by at least the 1860s the photography of art was already
a considerable and diverse European enterprise being carried out
for a variety of purposes.'' The study is primarily restricted
to England though reference is made to numerous parallel
European developments. The author hopes that ""this discussion
may help indicate how and why photography became such a central
tool to those who wished to study the fine arts in detail, and
that photography .. was often used for overtly political and
nationalistic aims, as well as being a considerable commercial
enterprise''.


Citaten:
Scharf, A.: Art and Photography (1968)
Ivins, W. M.: Prints and Visual Communication (1953)
Hammond, J.H.: The Camera Obscura (1981)
Van Deren Coke: The Painter and the Photographer (1964/72)
Galassi, P.: Before Photography (1981)
Gernsheim, H.: The Origins of Photography (1982)
Jenkins, R.: Science, Technology and the Evolution of Photography 1790-1925 (1987)
James, T.H.: Why Photography wasn't invented earler (1987)
Rosenblum, N.: Adolphe Braun (Hist. of Phot. v3,i4,oct 1979)
Zevi, F./Berger, J.:Alinari (1978)
Gebhardt, H.: Franz Hanfstaengl (1984)
Joseph, S.F./Schwilden, T.: Edmond Fierlants (1988)
Zannier, I.: Venezia, Archivio Naya (1981)
Neite, W.: G. Schauer (Hist. of Phot. v1,i4,oct 1977)
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Dyson, A.:Pictures to print (1984)
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Friedman, J.M.: Color Printing in England (1978)
Bennet, S.: Revolutions in Thought (1982)
Houghton, W.E.: Periodical literature (1982)
Fawcett, T.: Graphic versus Photographic in 19th (Art Hist. v9,i2,june 1986)
Moeshart, H.J.: Daguerrotypes by Adolph Schaefer (Hist. of Phot. v9,july 1985)
Ward, J./Stevenson, S.: Printed Light (1986)
Rosen, J.: The Printed Photograph (Art Journ. winter 1987)
Janis, E.P.: Photography (1978)