A History of Photography in USC Libraries Collections

Photography and American History

Photography and American History is devoted to photography’s ability to depict historical events and developments and it forms a visual narrative about immigrant and indigenous populations in America. From the earliest daguerreotypes to the explosion of the collodion wet plate process, photography has been at the forefront of culture and history in the United States. The effect of a visual representation of events as opposed to a written account was revolutionized through the development of the camera. The role of the camera in integrating an image with the reality of the physical world opens up the possibility of historical record-keeping to photographers. However, an increased focus on subject matter and purposeful compositional arrangements further clarifies our understanding of the camera’s ability to preserve the past.

Photography, by nature of the medium, is exclusive and argumentative. Yet, it gives us an opportunity to look into places, objects, and moments that build the backbone of our country and our national values. It brings to life what we can learn from textual accounts and allows us to experience the full impact of past tragedy and victory, meet the changing faces that built our country, and see how far we have traveled. At many moments throughout American history, photographs were used to call citizens to action. The determined coordination of complex social, emotional, and political concepts into a photographable environment allows for the otherwise invisible context of historical events to be portrayed visibly. Native Americans, Japanese Americans, and Korean Americans (through assimilation, internment, and political and economic exploitation) have grappled with the independent practice of their cultures within the expanding United States. As a result, they harbor a complex relationship with American history that lends itself to being communicated in complex ways through photography. This divide between control of immigrant or minority ethnic groups in times of intense conflict and globalization and the acceptance of these populations is a subject of enduring interest for the general public.

Photography and American History investigates the effects that photography had on the position and treatment of certain minority groups in the United States during pivotal points in the nation’s history. With a hopeful gaze, we examine the evolution of the relationship between minorities and photography, starting with the exploitative cataloging of indigenous groups in North America, followed by images of the immigrant experience in America through images of Japanese-American incarceration during WWII that depict the reality of war, conflict, and division within the nation. This section culminates with powerful photographs from minority protests within America. The desire to participate in movements calling for the equality of these ethnic groups would not have been as vehement without the power of photography to spread visual historical records. This curated selection of photographs illustrates the transition from exploitation, to dissemination, to empowerment, and works to instill confidence that the next generation of photographers will be able to utilize this medium to continue to make real change in a nation plagued by racial injustice.

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