How did photography affect America?

Answer 1

This is actually a topic for a book rather than a question. However, I'll give you a summary.

1) Photos enabled middle-class people (people who might not be able to afford a painted portrait) to have a realistic image of a loved one. People routinely took photos of relatives in their coffins, to have a last memento. Soldiers took photos into battle, while wives kept photos of their soldier-husbands at home to show to the children. Photos of children could also be sent to friends or relatives, to help strengthen family ties and bonds of affection.

2) The occupation of photographer opened a new career field and a new art-form for both men and women.

3) During the Civil War, photos of battlefields for the first time showed civilians the horrors of war, without the romanticism of drawings (although some of the photos may have been staged.) Photography (and, later, video) have continued to document the horrors of war and natural disasters.

4) Similarly, photos introduced middle-class and upper-class Americans to the squalid living conditions in the tenements. (See the book How the Other Half Lives by Riis) and, later, to the conditions of the Dust Bowl and the poverty of the Great Depression. Photos of the actual plight of the poor encouraged many Americans to want change.

5) Photos in medical books enabled doctors to see real "pictures" of rare or unusual diseases rather than just drawings or paintings.

6) While many of the line-drawings and etchings of the 19th century were VERY detailed, photos in catalogs and magazines showed people what the wagon, dress, sewing machine, or stove that they were buying REALLY looked like. Photos might also help the person sew a dress or assemble their new agricultural implement.

7) Postcards and snapshots helped people remember important events in life: a trip to a fair, a wedding, or just having fun with friends. Albums and picture frames were produced to house these photos.

8) Photos may have helped make America feel more like one country. People could see a New England farmstead or a southern bayou. They could see the White House and the President, or the Grand Canyon.

9) Photos (especially stereoscope views) educated people about other countries as well. At a time when travel was a long and difficult endeavor, middle-class people could see castles in Germany, a Chinese lady, or a village in Italy through the 3-d images of the stereoscope.

11) Comic photos (stereoscope views and magic lanterns) were an early form of entertainment, eventually leading up to the motion picture. Some people traveled around with magic lantern shows as a business. Middle-class people might have a stereoscope at home, where the children could see comic or educational views. Of course "View-Masters" - a form of stereoscope, were popular even when I was a child!

12) Eventually, photography and early motion pictures helped doctors, scientists, and artists study how the body moved. Rather than a horse galloping with its legs outstretched, people learned exactly how a horse's hooves touch the ground during the different gaits. Early photos and movies showed how a human jumps and dances.

13) Last but not least, photos became important in identifying people, especially criminals and those found deceased (so that relatives might be able to recognize them). Photos can document a crime scene as well.

Again, there are probably many other effects on society: the different industries that developed, especially with the introduction of the Brownie Camera, and the way people now rely on images for identification and as mementos, as well as for art. It's hard to imagine life without photography.