The visual cultures of the industrialising European empires are marked by the arrival of new technologies, innovations and media of which photography is only one. How and why is photography ‘revolutionary’ and examine the roles and functions it played in the above context.

 

The visual cultures of the industrialising European empires was marked by many new technologies ,one very important technology was photography .Photography was revolutionary in the innovations of technology and media .From the moment it was created it was used in many different ways and as time went on it accumulated a vast variety of functions .Photography was and still is used by all kinds of people .It gave scientists the ability to record data more accurately .It created a new medium of creativity for those who wanted to become artists but couldn’t draw or paint. “Industrialisation is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an economy for the purpose of manufacturing”(Wikipedia)Photography played a substantial role in this by not only revolutionising scientific technology but by also creating  great change in society .Photography changed the way people thought about many things ,for example the way time was perceived by society changed .The ability to capture an image created a way to bring past memories physically into the present .In this essay I will be focusing on how photography changed the way people thought and saw things and how that was taken advantage of by people who wanted reform . I will also be discussing some of the many roles and functions of photography by examining photography in revolution ,mugshots ,the Suffragettes and the box brownie camera.

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In “A History of Visual Culture Western Civilisation from the 18th to the 21st century ,pages 30-41(2010)” ,Richard Taws writes about how photographic images are used to get revolutionary messages across .In the revolutions of the nineteenth century ,image makers engaged with the conditions of the present but with the origins of modernity .The cross pollination of new photographic techniques and traditional printing altered  the meaning of images .The process of making and distributing images becoming quicker and easier makes a difference to how images can be used .Revolutions bring radical change in visual culture as the conditions for image making are transformed by the altered social system .Visual histories were available to an increasing amount of the public which sparked debate and opinions on the revolution and napoleon were polarised .People became more and more educated .Educated people understand the world more and see what needs to be changed .The phrase “A picture can say a thousand words” really applies here especially when photographic images weren’t something you would have seen too often .Photographic images were also a great tool for getting revolutionary messages across to people who couldn’t read very well .Revolution wasn’t just wanted in the upper classes of wealthy and highly educated people it was a goal for all .Using photographic images made sure everyone would be apart of the revolution .

In the French revolution of 1789-1799 ,revolutionary governments attempted to remake society and visual culture played a central role in this by transmitting the message of the revolution to the French audience .The “Tableaux historique de la Revolution francaise”(1789-1814) reflected on recent events and showed images of battle scenes and journees .

Fig2.1 pg 31 Richard Taws Nineteenth Century Revolutions and Strategies of Visual Persuasion

 

It showed the difference between the Revolution and what represents the Revolution .The mechanisation of the printing process in Britain created a shift in the audience .Caricature was diluted for a “polite” audience with the exception of artists like C.J Grant who took on more controversial subjects .Newspapers such as Illustrated London News represent how the revolution had moved to everyday news .When something continuously appears in the news it becomes less and less new and shocking .The reader becomes desensitised to things that once made them uncomfortable and starts to really think about things like revolution with less fear then before .There is no chance of people being afraid of the unknown when it’s in the daily news .People were informed and educated on what was happening with the revolution everyday .It was edited so that it wouldn’t offend sensitive readers but liked by revolutionary minds .This was very cleverly done so people would slowly start to think in a revolutionary way without even realising it .This really shows the impact that media and photography can have on a revolution .The appearance of photography transformed the experience of the revolution as the general public could see images like “fig2.1” above and not just the soldiers who were fighting in the battles .This meant that revolution wasn’t just happening on the battle fields but also in people minds .

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In “The mug shot a brief history, pages 31-33 (2018)” ,Shawn Michelle Smith wrote about how the mugshot showed the public how useful the invention of photography was and also sparked societies interest in solving crime .Photography began to be used for identification and surveillance shortly after it was invented in 1839. In the 1880s, Alphonse Bertillon, an anthropologist and chief of the Judicial Identification Service of France, invented the mug shot, a doubled photographic portrait with one view facing the camera and the other in profile. Bertillon designed the portrait parlé which added a detailed record of the physical measurements of the person along with the photos .This made the mugshot more effective in successfully identifying wanted criminals. Mug shots were displayed in public with the hope that public viewing would increase the number of investigative eyes on the ground .This revolutionised detective work and how society saw it .The majority of mugshots had white subjects .This  suggests that general public had to be trained and instructed to see white people as criminals whereas black people were already seen as criminals .This explains the lack of any early mugshots of black people even though so many were unjustly incarcerated .Black people were freed from slavery in the 1860’s but what followed wasn’t much better .The economy of many countries was built off of slavery and with so many people suddenly having the right to look for things like paying jobs and housing the economy couldn’t handle it so the vast majority of black people were imprisoned for ridiculous things .This is why ,even today black people are wrongfully associated with crime .The mugshot being available to the public made people feel involved in solving crime and resulted in a society with huge interest in crime .This is still true to this day with hundreds of books ,shows and films about detectives etc.   

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In the documentary “Suffragetttes with Lucy Worsley”, (BBC2,2018) .It shows the Suffragettes using photography to show the oppression of women so people would protest with them in the hopes of women having the right to vote. At the beginning of the 19th century women had practically no rights .It was frowned upon for women to work and if they did it was cooking ,sewing or cleaning .Women were the property of their husband ,their only role in society was being incubators for the children their husbands demanded even though they would never help to look after the child .The government was strictly for men as “women weren’t smart enough to comprehend politics” .Education had only become available to women in the upper class recently .These newly educated women ,with a new sense of self worth began to truly understand and resent their oppression and so they created an organisation called the Suffragettes. In October 1907 the Suffragettes published the first edition of their own newspaper .The public image of the suffragettes was a key element in making sure their message was getting across .They became masters of propaganda ,doing things like taking photos of themselves in chains as a symbol of oppression .On the 21st of June 1908 30,000 people took part in a procession in Hyde park in London .Flora Drummond played a big role in organising this momentous day which became known as Womens Sunday .The Suffragettes chose this day to launch their colours ,purple for dignity ,green for hope and white for purity .These colours went on to inspire the Irish Tricolour .“The Rush “ took place at the house of commons on the 13th of October.60,000 people showed up along with 5,000 policemen .The police tried to stop it by arresting a group of women before it happened but the women outsmarted them .They hid a photographer in a cubard and he jumped out and took a photo of the arrest before the police even knew what was happening .This iconic image appeared in the papers and was an excellent use of photography by the Suffragettes.

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In “George Eastman’s Modern Stone Age Family:Snapshot Photography and the Box Brownie Technology and Culture  Baltimore Vol 48 Issue 1(Jan 2007) ” ,Olivier Mark writes about how the box brownie camera changed photography as ordinary people could now take photos of ordinary things .George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, transformed photography in 1900 with the one dollar Brownie camera .Those who had previously been excluded from photography because of gender ,age or lack of wealth could now become amateur photographers .The invention of the box brownie revolutionised photography into not just a serious profession but a hobby to be used by anyone who was interested .The mass production and marketing of the box brownie redefined who could take photos and what was being photographed .The complex history of the Brownie combines the study of folklore, the history of advertising, and the history of snapshot photography. The box brownie was not taken seriously by professional photographers because it was marketed to women and young people. By 1900, Cox had published seven Brownie books, and the Brownies had endorsed products for nearly seventeen years .One article on the Brownie proposes that "every school boy and girl in the land ought to have a Brownie before the vacation season begins”. A typical ad depicts tiny Brownies crawling on the camera, walking around the camera, and peering into the lens .The sprites help give life and movement to the otherwise dull black box; which makes it appealing to children .It was quite revolutionary to give children the opportunity to use something that up to that time had been a complicated and gate-keeped profession .In May 1914, Eastman Kodak discontinued the "Brownie Book”. Brownie advertising did not stop, but the cameras were marketed more directly to adults. Versions of "Brownie" cameras continued to be manufactured into the 1950s, By popularizing snapshot photography the box brownie camera gave ordinary people a voice and an accessible medium of self expression.

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Since its invention in 1839 ,photography has revolutionised many aspects of our lives .Photography was an important visual culture in the industrialising of the  European Empire .It had many scientific , social roles and functions .It changed the way people communicated with one another .It gave ordinary people the ability to express themselves. It gave a voice to those who previously were not heard .It revolutionised education ,daily news and art .It transformed how people saw the world and how they saw themselves . Photographic images being shared with the public in newspapers and mugshots created a more curious and informed society .The jump from photography being a serious profession for wealthy men to a profession or hobby for all opened up a world of creative and forward thinking to people  .In conclusion after extensive research I have discovered that photography has created a lot more social change then I initially realised .It has been a tool to countless activists fighting for human rights and for a better world . It played a huge role in the industrialising of the European Empire and revolutionising the world .

 

Bibliography

Richard Taws ( 2010 ).A History of Visual Culture Western Civilisation from the 18th to the 21st century ,pages 30-41

Shawn Michelle Smith ( 2018 ).The mug shot a brief history ,pages 31-33

BBC2(2018).Suffragetttes with Lucy Worsley

Olivier,Mark(Jan 2007).George Eastman’s Modern Stone-Age Family: Snapshot Photography and the Brownie Technology and Culture;Baltimore ,Vol 48 Issue 1

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