LAH 350 (unique: 29485) 1 Spring 2018 Course Syllabus

Photography and American Culture

Robert H. Abzug Professor of History and American Studies

Class Meetings: TTH 2:00-3:30 PM @ HRC 2.202 Office Hours: TTH 3:30-4:30 PM and by appointment [email protected] Office: Garrison 3.310 (NW corner of 3rd floor)

We will investigate the importance of photography in the United States in relationship to changing currents in America society and culture. We will explore the history of the medium, from 19th century daguerreotypes and wet plate to digital imaging; the relationship between photography and American history, especially in relation to popular culture, social depiction, and war. We will be especially interested in photographic works that attempt to represent the nature of America and American life. A one semester seminar cannot hope to cover all the essential topics concerning American photography, let alone photography in general. That is why the papers you will be writing are essential not only to your own work but to the seminar. Each of you will have c. 20 minutes to introduce the photographer about whom you are writing in the last sessions of the class. These reports will not only be helpful in gleaning suggestions from other members of the class, but will add to the breadth of knowledge begun with the earlier class sessions and readings. In addition to considering how others have photographed American life, students will have the opportunity to make their own photographs. Any camera or cell phone with the capacity to take pictures will do for equipment. The idea is to study photography as practiced by others and experience the challenge of photographic depiction by applying what you have learned and creating an 8-10 image photographic exhibit on a theme, one that includes an “artist’s statement” about your methods and approach to the subject(s) you have chosen. Finally, the medium of photography, whether as journalism, fine art, advertising, or other forms, has often involved the depiction of violence, nudity, forms of sexuality, historical distortion, racial, class, and gender stereotype and denigration—pictorial forms of attitudes that some or all of us will find offensive and some or all will find liberating. We are here to study t photography as an important element of American culture, and it is in that spirit that we will be discussing even some of the most controversial of its uses.

Books Required for Purchase

James Agee and Walker Evans, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography Robert Frank, The Americans Susan Sontag, On Photography Eli Reed, Black in America

In addition, I will post article-length readings on Canvas for class discussion.

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Grading Criteria:

One Page Reading Reaction, due day before most Thursday classes: 10% (graded c/nc) Paper Proposal and Bibliography: 10% Final Paper: 30% Due May 7 Attendance, Class Exhibit/Artist Statement Project: 20% Class Participation and Oral Report: 30% (Perfect Attendance Assumed)

The following scale will be used to determine your final grade in the course:

93-100 = A 83-86.99 = B 73-76.99 = C 63-66.99 = D 90-92.99 = A- 80-82.99 = B- 70-72.99 = C- 60-62.99 = D- 87-89.99 = B+ 77-79.99 = C+ 67-69.99 = D+ 0-59.99 = F

Class and Topics Schedule:

January 16 Introduction January 18 What Is Photography? January 23 Photographic Processes and Resources at HRC (Linda Briscoe Myers) January 25 Camera Lucida (Readings Discussion) January 30 A History of the Technologies of the Photography February 1 Orientation to the Collections (Andi Gustavson & possibly Linda B. Myers) February 6 On Photography (Reading Discussion) February 8 War in Photographs (Andi Gustavson) February 13 American Art Photography: The Formative Period—Stieglitz and Strand February 15 Kodak and the Snapshot February 20 The Realist Tradition: Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine February 22 Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (Reading Discussion) February 27 Magnum, Photojournalism, and the Photo Agency (Steven Hoelscher) March 1 The Golden Age of Photojournalism March 6 Required Office Hours March 8 Required Office Hours March 13 Spring Break March 15 Spring Break March 20 The Age of Fashion and Advertising March 22 Avedon, Modell, and the Fashion Revolution March 27 Street Photography The Americans and Its Influence March 29 1960s-70s Generation: Meyerowitz, Winogrand, Friedlander April 3 Democratization of Photography: Minorities, Ethnic and Sexual April 5 Van Der Zee, Parks, Mapplethorpe, Goldin April 10 The Digital Horizon April 12 Oral Reports April 17 Oral Reports April 19 Oral Reports April 24 Oral Reports April 26 Oral Reports

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May 1 Oral Reports May 3 Class Show: Photographs and Artist Statement May 7 FINAL PAPERS DUE (MONDAY)

Final Paper

The final paper must be at least 2000 words (approx. 8-9 pages) in length, not counting the bibliography, and will consist of an analysis of the work of a select photograph or photographs (maximum 3-4) of a particular photographer. Topics must be approved by me and I can be of great help in finding sources for and helping you shape the paper. The preparation of the paper will include not only personal choice and critical commentary on individual photograph(s) but also scholarly work done on the photographs in question.

Accommodations, Religious Holidays, Emergencies, Scholastic Honesty

• Please note that all graded work done inside or outside of class must be your own work. Writing that appears to be the work of someone else (e.g. a friend, a Web or print source) and may entail severe penalties beyond just a zero on the particular assignment. Students who violate University rules on academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the university. For more information, visit http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/. We strictly abide by the UT Honor Code < http://registrar.utexas.edu/catalogs/gi09-10/ch01/index.html> on questions of scholastic dishonesty. • Please familiarize yourself with the policies concerning campus carry: https://campuscarry.utexas.edu/students • Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259 http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/. • Students seeking assistance with writing may wish to contact The Undergraduate Writing Center http://uwc.utexas.edu/handouts. • Medical assistance/ counseling services are available at http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/. • If you miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will have an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence • Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus must evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. Information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found here. http://www.utexas.edu/emergency

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• Violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, religion, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources here.

Possible Photographers for Paper Topics

• Berenice Abbott • Sally Mann • Ansel Adams • Robert Mapplethorpe • Eddie Adams • Susan Meiselas • Diane Arbus • Joel Meyerowitz • Richard Avedon • Duane Michals • Zaida Ben Yusuf • Lee Miller • Margaret Bourke-White • Richard Misrach • Matthew Brady • Arnold Newman • Anne Brigman • Gordon Parks • Imogen Cunningham • Irving Penn • Edward Curtis • Man Ray • David Douglas Duncan • Eli Reed (other than In Black • Elliott Erwitt America) • Walker Evans (other than Let Us • Cindy Sherman Now Praise Famous Men) • Stephen Shore • Robert Frank (other than The • W. Eugene Smith Americans) • Alec Soth • Lee Friedlander • Joel Sternfeld • Nan Goldin • Alfred Stieglitz • Lewis Hine • Paul Strand • Gertrude Käsebier • James Van der Zee • Dorothea Lange • Eudora Welty • Russell Lee • Edward Weston • Annie Leibowitz • Gary Winogrand • Helen Levitt • Vivian Maier

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