American Presidents and the History of Photography from the Daguerreotype to the Digital Revolution
Project Directors: Cara Finnegan, Professor of Communication
Grant Program: Fellowships for University Teachers
While a few scholars have used photography as a lens for studying the presidency, this project uses the presidency as a lens through which to study the history of photography. It examines how presidents over time have participated in moments of transformation in photographic technologies and modes of representation, thereby revealing how Americans learned to make sense of photography’s role in public life.