FAH291H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Chlorate, Dazed, Muckraker
2 Nov 2016
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Worked in new york city as police reporter: era of muckraking. Exposed wretched slums, degrading tenements, and political corruption. First to use magnesium flash: mixture of powdered magnesium and potassium chlorate, subjects startled and dazed. Also pointed to the plight of the homeless: strong emotional response for viewer. Images designed to both excite the public interest and act as a deterrent at the same time. Brings second part of the history of photography in the service of social reform in the united. Social photography: educator, showing how social injustice can be corrected. Works began with taking photos of immigrants arriving at ellis island. Moves from brutalization of children to sublime heights of adult workers: document the construction of the world"s tallest building (at that time) Men at work: peculiar formalism and streamlining. Images varied: some were fully clothed, some nude. Erotic fantasies and mysteries: some prostitutes wore masks. Photo illustrator for magazines and journals: work on labor.
