Isms: Understanding Photography

Understanding Photography packs an enormous amount of detail into a handy, attractive guide tracing the evolution of photography through a series of interconnected trends, groups, themes and movements - from the invention of the photographic process to the post-internet age. Organised chronologically, this is a uniquely international, comprehensive guide to photography with concise, readable and jargon-free but scholarly insight into major photographers, movements and themes of the past 170 years. In an age where photography is of more resonance and interest than ever before, Understanding Photography offers an in-depth and clear exposition of photography for the interested general reader or student.

Emma Lewis is Assistant Curator at Tate Modern, London, UK, where she has worked on photographic acquisitions, curated collection displays - including Italian Modernist Photography (2014) and Otto Steinert (2015) - and is currently researching a major monographic photography exhibition opening in Spring 2017. Prior to joining Tate, she managed the archive of late photographer Terence Donovan and spent three years in the Department of Photographs at Phillips, London. Emma contributes to Photomonitor and Tate ETC. and has written catalogue essays for a number of artists and photographers.

IntroductionHow to Use this BookSection 1: The Invention of Photography & the Recording of the World: 1826-1910sSection 2: Into the Modern: 1850s-1930sSection 3: Society & Humanity: 1930s-70sSection 4: The Postmodern: 1950s-90sSection 5: Contemporary Photography: 1980s-List of PhotographersChronology of IsmsGlossary of Useful TermsList of CollectionsPhotographic Credits