This source commentary deals with the methodological, interpretive and theoretical issues raised by using documentary photographs as historical sources. The problems and advantages connected with this type of historical source are going to be illustrated taking documentary photographs created for the photographic section of the US American federal government during the interwar period as an example. By focusing on two out of the approximately 80, 000 photos of this collection which were produced by the two most renown photographers working for the project, Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, this source commentary is going to argue that using them profitably as sources in writing cultural history, requires at least as much or even more critical consideration and background information than is required by other sources.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Methodological and theoretical issues of documentary photography
2.1 The apparent objectivity of photography
2.2 The levels of meaning: Denotation and connotation
2.3 Emotional response and historical understanding
3. Historical background of FSA photography
3.1 Motivations and political context of the project
3.2 The role of the photographer and governmental control
4. Interpretation of case studies
4.1 Dorothea Lange: Migrant Mother
4.2 Walker Evans: Kitchen of Floyd Burrough
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Topics
This study examines the methodological and interpretative challenges of using documentary photographs from the American FSA project as historical sources. It investigates how these images, despite their perceived objectivity, were curated and manipulated by the government to serve as propaganda during the Great Depression, and analyzes the influence of the photographers' backgrounds on the final representations.
- Methodological analysis of photography as a historical source
- The concept of "myth" and the manipulation of photographic meaning
- Political context and propaganda usage of FSA photography
- The influence of artistic intent on documentary realism
- Comparative analysis of works by Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans
Excerpt from the Book
The apparent objectivity of photography
The first characteristic associated with photographs that seems to be one of their prime advantages when compared to other types of sources such as all different kinds of written sources or even other kinds of visual sources such as paintings, seems to be their apparent objectivity. Whereas the other kinds of sources are hand recorded (involving pencil and paper) documents and are thus regarded to be more likely prejudiced by the writer´s or painter´s perception of reality, photography is considered to be a method of representing reality in a more direct way because it involves mechanical recording (a camera) and is thus regarded as being more objective and less likely to be biased.
With regard to the photographs that are focused on in this source commentary, this belief seems at first sight even to be more the case because they belong to the genre of documentary photography that is characterised as ‘reporting actual facts’. Photographers, like Walker Evans, actually used these popular misconceptions of photography as being objective documents. Above conveying the information trough his images, he gave them further authority by evoking the impression of ‘naked realism’. He did this by using his artistic skills to manipulate reality in order to produce exactly the effects he intended. As the example of Evans shows, with regard to these photographs it seems necessary to explore how aspects of the producer´s background such as standpoint, personality, artistic mentality, social class and political affiliation influence the process of image creation.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the methodological challenges of using documentary photographs as historical primary sources during the interwar period.
2. Methodological and theoretical issues of documentary photography: This section explores the perceived objectivity of cameras versus the reality of artistic manipulation and the construction of meaning through denotation and connotation.
3. Historical background of FSA photography: This chapter details the government's role in employing photographers to document the Great Depression and the resulting propaganda implications.
4. Interpretation of case studies: This chapter analyzes specific photographs by Lange and Evans, highlighting how they were staged or selected to align with middle-class ideals.
5. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that photographic collections require critical interrogation due to their complex production and propagandistic nature.
Keywords
Documentary Photography, FSA, Great Depression, Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, Propaganda, Historical Sources, Cultural History, Visual Culture, Objectivity, Connotation, Denotation, Roy Stryker, New Deal, Representation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
This work examines the methodological problems and interpretive challenges of using FSA documentary photographs as historical evidence.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the illusion of photographic objectivity, the role of state-sponsored propaganda, and the influence of photographer intent on visual documentation.
What is the primary goal of the study?
The goal is to argue that using documentary photographs as historical sources requires significant critical background knowledge to look past manipulated "realities."
Which methodology is applied?
The study utilizes a source-based analysis, comparing the photographic work against historical context, contemporary political objectives, and the photographers' own artistic backgrounds.
What is covered in the main section?
The main section investigates the transition from perceived objective documentation to the strategic use of propaganda, using case studies of works by Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans.
Which keywords best describe the paper?
Key terms include Documentary Photography, FSA, Great Depression, Propaganda, Cultural History, and Visual Representation.
Why is Dorothea Lange’s "Migrant Mother" considered a manipulated icon?
Although it appears as a spontaneous portrait, the study reveals it was one of several takes, carefully composed to fit contemporary middle-class values of family and dignity.
What role did Walker Evans play in the staging of his work?
Evans frequently rearranged living spaces, removing or adding objects to create an aesthetic of order and dignity that contrasted with the actual chaotic reality of the sharecroppers' lives.
- Quote paper
- Stefanie Däne (Author), 2007, Source based project: “FSA Photography: Dorothea Lange &Walker Evans”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/154189
