Family Photo Albums of the 19th and 20th Centuries - Essay Example

Photography USA - Family Photo Albums of the 19th and 20th Centuries YOUR FULL THE OF YOUR OR SCHOOL Photography USA - Family Photo Albums of the 19th and 20th Centuries The photograph has become ubiquitous in the modern day. The ease of capturing visual images by disposable cameras and even portable telephones has forever changed the way Americans perceive and display family photography. In contrast to the people of the 19th Century, who witnessed the birth of the camera and its cloth-shrouded operator, experienced the fizzle and smoke of flash powder, and waited to actually view the resulting picture, the contemporary family thinks nothing of snapping an image and immediately viewing the result. Expectedly, the comparison of 19th and 20th Century family albums reveals a very different approach to life; and photography. The changes in the family album across this timeframe reflect a combination of issues in a broad range; individual, social, and technological. Where the 19th and 20th Centuries are similar is in the purpose of the family album. Regardless of the era, families have wanted to preserve and remember people and events with which they shared a common bond. Whether the picture was derived from a professionally-posed portrait in the Victorian era or a "parent...taking a snapshot of a child on holiday with an instamatic or throw-away camera," there has always been the expectation that there was a "restricted audience [for] the family album, to be viewed by close friends as well as present and future members of the family."1 The commonality of the album's purpose across both time periods is not derived from the method of photography, but from the reason for it. People take pictures and put them in family albums because they want to remember something about their lives. They want to document the history of their lineage or the development of their progeny. They want to take an image that represents one day or a series of events in their lives and share that memory with their friends and relatives in the present day; and they want future generations to be able to see it as well. This basic human desire is the same regardless of the time period. Where the family album begins to change, and reflect the difference between the 19th and 20th Centuries, is through the social implications of its contents. Daily life and social perceptions have evolved dramatically over the course of these two eras, and it is within the very nature of photography to capture the images and details of that life. The family album, as a collection of photographs, must naturally reflect this change. As Wright comments, [P]hotography has provided new visions which have enabled...the transitions from the nineteenth to the late twentieth century. Science and technology, as well as culture in general, demand representational systems to promote and facilitate change...2 Just as the American family has developed along social lines, the cultural differences between the social perceptions of self, immediate family, and ancestors have presented themselves and become embodied in the family album. It is this characteristic of being what Wright calls a "representational system"3 that has morphed a collection of photographs, whether they are pasted in an old book or posted on the internet, into evidence of cultural change. One of the most dramatic changes in the family album has come about as a result of technology. Certainly, the evolution of the camera itself has impacted the way families are able to portray themselves. The ease of simply taking a modern picture has brought the photograph from the realm of the technical professional into the reach of anyone. Naturally, the processing methodology has evolved to the point that there is no processing in the traditional sense for a digital photograph; its framer may simply look in the screen and immediately decide to accept or reject the image. In terms of the family album itself, though, perhaps the most radical impact of technology is the presentation of the photos. People no longer have to sit on the couch with a large book to see their history and memories. They can click in their web browser and navigate to a web site or online photo album. As explored further in this paper, the advent of digital imaging technology has radically altered the family album. The Purpose of the Family Album Briefly, before treating the changes in the family album over the last centuries, it should be noted that there are key similarities and motivations related to creating and keeping such albums that have not been altered by time. The changes that have occurred have not done so in a vacuum; and understanding those changes is best framed within the context of the similarities that timelessly pass through the whole idea of keeping a family album in the first place. The photograph and its collection for family use have always been about people. Nancy Shawcross notes that it is the "family album that traces the ties of flesh and blood outlined in faces, in limbs, in postures and in expressions."4 These words demonstrate the significance of family albums; they are us. Whether a 19th Century tintype or a 20th Century web site, the point is that we have an image that is important to us, that represents us in a particular point in time. It is a memory waiting there for us to pick up again at a later date or share with a trusted friend. Family albums are significant because they hold memories within their pages. These memories become the fabric that holds us to our past and connects us to our future. Secondly, family albums are used to record our history. From them we can see our lineage and understand the family history that has brought us into this world; and remain connected to our past. As Judy Weiser notes: Astronaut Neil Armstrong carried photographs of his parents with him on his first trip into space, so he could "take them along" with him to the moon... [p]eople gather at school reunions, wedding receptions and other social events to smilingly bring decades-old photos showing the past (and hoped-for future), to reawaken memories about the past.5 It is the visual images of our history that help to bring continuity to our lives. Through family albums and the photographs in them, we understand our place in the world. Finally, these albums give us the images of life itself. Whether looking at a picture of our great-grandparents formally posing in an early-American studio or of ourselves as children playing in a backyard pool, we see a meaningful moment that touches us. The memory of our personal history and, in the case of ancestral photographs of the history of our forefathers, we are able to place ourselves within the timeline of life. We have a reference from which to gain our bearings. It is upon this canvas of commonality that the differences between 19th and 20th Century family albums can be best painted. Knowing what is the same allows us to appreciate what has changed. The Impact of Social Change The 20th Century is not our grandparents' world. This rather obvious idea is never-the-less worthy of mention because it manifests so completely within the pages of the modern family album; particularly when that book is compared to its counterpart of the past. Comparing family albums of the two eras allows us to see the significant social changes that have occurred within American culture over the periods. For the purposes of this paper, the key differences lie within the altered social perceptions of self, family, and ancestry. Of all the places where social change has impacted Americans, perhaps the image of self is the most prescient. The self-image of individuals in a culture drives that culture. How we perceive ourselves is so fundamental, it impacts the way we view our world and the other people within that world. This self-perception can be readily discerned by looking through any typical family album and noting the images found there. The images of individuals from the 19th Century are generally posed, serious, and somewhat stilted6. The message is that these are serious people engaged in serious activities. The photographs from the 20th Century, particularly the latter part of the era, tend to be much more relaxed. Modern individuals are more comfortable being portrayed in a playful state7. As Lury notes, "[it] has often been pointed out that the photographic portrait was employed to extend and popularise the function of the ceremonial presentation of the self..."8 The very idea of a ceremonial presentation is not foremost on the minds of modern Americans. While their family albums may contain posed photographs from weddings or other special events, their perception is not so ceremonial. In contrast, their ancestors were very keen on the idea of presenting themselves in a formal way. This distinction can be easily seen by comparing the photographs of ceremonial events from the two periods. For example, consider the wedding pictures contained in a typical family album. The wedding pictures of grandparents or great-grandparents are much less likely to be anything other than the bride and groom, either on their wedding day or just before it. Modern wedding pictures tend to be more candid. The modern wedding picture album may contain a formal photograph, but is likely to have many more casual images of the ceremony, reception, and honeymoon. In fact, today's wedding photographers are specifically instructed to take lots of informal pictures of the event; and therein lies the key to one of the major differences between the eras. The 19th Century pictures are of individuals who are presenting a ceremonial representation of themselves. The 20th Century photographs are less about the individuals and more about the event itself. This is a classic demonstration of the social changes in the American image of "self." The modern American is much more likely to see himself in the context of an event, "as family albums...attempt to relate the varieties of photographs to their social contexts."9 In contrast, the 19th Century American wanted to be perceived as a serious individual within the framework of a ceremony. Here, the social image change is about focus; the individual of the ceremony (19th Century) versus the individual in the ceremony (20th Century). American individualism has evolved over the past hundred years to the point that the photograph isn't about the person as much as it is about the event. This social perceptive change manifests in the family album, observable by the very posture of the subjects. Similarly, social evolution has not only re-crafted the individual, but the American family as well. In America, as in many parts of the world, the very definition of family has changed. Whereas our ancestors would define a family as a husband and wife, their children and blood relatives, the modern American has expanded that notion to allow for the result of divorce, multiple marriage partners and children, as well as gay or lesbian domestic partners. These societal changes are evident in the pages of the family album by the mere fact of who is in the pictures and how they are portrayed. In discussing this issue, author Katherine Hoffman refers to an exhibit by Nan Goldin where "[t]he concept of the family album and the myth of the American family were further explored... this album is filled not with the joy of remembered family events and rites of passage, but with the sadness of difficult and unsuccessful relationships..."10 Here we find a succinct statement of the difference between the 19th and 20th Centuries. In the old days, the family album was about relatives and joyful times, as the family has changed in American over the course of the 20th Century, the photographs are more apt to show difficult situations and conflicted individuals. As a natural result, the modern perception of ancestors is also different than it used to be and their portrayal in the typical family album evidences this change. Instead of seeing a picture our grandmother, who married our grandfather at a young age and stayed together throughout their lives, we see our grandmother with her new boyfriend. She isn't portrayed in the high-necked Victorian dress with her pearls, posed unsmilingly by his side, but rather in a tee shirt at a major theme park in Florida along side a costumed character and her third husband. The presentation itself speaks volumes about the idea of reverence. Years ago, children were taught that our ancestors were to be revered, respected, and even feared. They were portrayed in family albums as solid, dependable people in serious situations with a determined purpose. Today, the more casual, less stilted approach to life translates to our perception of older relatives as well; and there is no compunction regarding the portrayal of them in that light. In these ways, the family album has reflected the social changes that have swept over the American people as the years have passed. Be it individual, family, or ancestral, the changing face of American culture is displayed in the pages of the family album for all to see. The Impact of Technological Change Of all the differences between 19th and 20th Century family photo albums, perhaps the greatest agent for change has been the technology which provides the visual images. The people of the mid-1800's did not have portable cameras that were easy to use. They did not have one-hour photo processing from the corner drug store. They certainly did not have the ability to take a digital photo, decide if they liked it or not, and then download it to a computer so that it could be altered by software and posted to an electronic album or uploaded to a web site. Indeed, the "two generations form bookends to the tale of photography: mid-Victorians at one end, contemporary professional photographers and schoolchildren using computers at the other."11 These dramatic differences in technology have forever altered the family photo album, and can be understood in three major components; the camera itself, the process of taking the images from a negative on a glass slide or piece of film to a usable form for the album, and the presentation of those pictures with the pages-paper or electronic-of the album. First, the evolutionary path of the camera has taken the ability to create visual images out of professional hands and placed it with the reach of anyone. Depending on what part of the 19th Century is evaluated, the subject of the picture was in a studio or present at a historically significant event. The reason for this is that the camera was a large, complex piece of equipment that required a trained operator. If a couple or individual were in a photograph, it was because they went to a studio and posed for a picture. Alternatively, they were present at a newsworthy event and participated in a group shot that captured whatever event was being documented. The point is that the subjects of a photograph relocated themselves to the place where the camera was. Portability was not an issue because of the structure of the device. We have all seen the portrayal of the early 19th Century photograph. It involved a large box sitting on a tripod, replete with a lens in the front and a cape at the back. The operator would duck under the hood to focus the lens and ensure the proper placement of the photographic medium. He would then hold a small bar that contained a phosphorous-based chemical or flash powder in one hand and stand to the side with the shutter control apparatus in the other hand. Upon proper notice, everyone would straighten up and he would push the button. This is the primary reason that the early photographs in family albums are so formal; the taking of a picture was a formal event that required professional presence. It wasn't until the 1870's that any kind of accessible, operator-friendly device such as the box brownie became available. Accordingly, the vast majority of photographs taken before that time lacked any candid or casual characteristic. As the device evolved with ever-increasing ease of use, the 35mm became a standard. Here was a camera that was more suited to amateur photography. Using a wide range of lenses, shutter exposure time settings and film speed, the 35mm camera could be used by professionals and family members alike. It was truly portable and, though it could be complicated when used to its maximum capability, it was simple enough to be taken to casual events. Even so, the film had to be developed. As discussed further, changes in this technology would impact the album as well. There would be, however, a camera that emerged in the market which precluded a trip to the developers. The next major accomplishment for the camera device was the Polaroid. While limited in terms of lens variety and shutter speed, and even shunned by "real" photographers as an amateur device, the Polaroid could do what the 35mm could not; provide instant gratification for the family photographer. Although somewhat bulky, and requiring the application of chemicals to the print itself, this camera nevertheless produced a visual image on the spot. The family album benefited from this technological development because the pictures could be taken and immediately placed in the album or saved in a box for later use. No doubt, we can all remember a cardboard box filled with photographs somewhere in the house. Many of these pictures were taken by the Polaroid camera. In the latter part of the 20th Century, the latest innovation in camera technology began to emerge; the digital camera. It didn't use film at all, storing images on a disc as data to be downloaded onto a computer. For the average family, this caused an explosion in photographic images because of the ease of use and the ability to make sure that the picture was just right. With the digital camera, even the most casual of family pictures could be framed and shot and, if the result was not to the photographer's liking, the image could be deleted and the whole process repeated until a suitable picture was obtained. The family photo album would never be the same. The changes within the family album reflect the use of these devices as pictures are much more apt to be less formal, more action-oriented, and more prevalent. In fact, one of the primary differences between the 19th and 20th Century family photo albums is the sheer volume of pictures available. In the early eras, an individual might have her picture taken just a few times over the course of her life. The posed baby picture, perhaps with siblings, an engagement or wedding photo, an anniversary shot with her husband, and her presence at a significant community event. The modern individual, however, is included in hundreds-if not thousands-of pictures that start at birth, run through each year of school, all birthdays, parties, proms, weddings, family reunions, funerals-the list is almost endless. This is as a direct result of the difference in the camera. As cameras became less expensive, simpler to operate, and easier to obtain images from, the process of making visual images changed forever for American photography in general and the family album specifically. Beyond the device itself, the advances in photo processing technology complemented the increase of images in the album. As picture processing and format moved from the daguerreotype, the ambrotype, and tintype12 to slides, 35mm prints, Polaroid prints, and digital images, the ease of access to the picture allowed the family album to develop into a less-formal, more spontaneous display of life and family. In the 19th Century, obtaining a photograph was difficult by modern standards, and the image itself was bulky. After the professional developed the image, it was provided on a stiff medium of glass or metal. As technology advanced, the paper-based photograph was much easier to incorporate into a book of remembrance such as the family album. Getting the images, however, still required more effort than it does today. After shooting a roll of film, that package had to be delivered to a developer who would, after a period of time, return a set of prints. The speed of this process was reduced as one-hour developing technology emerged, but Americans still had to make two trips to the shop; one to drop the film off, and one to pick the pictures up. This is one reason why the Polaroid was so popular with Americans-images were immediately available with no need to go to a developer. Naturally, as the digital camera emerged, the image could be seen on the device's screen and downloaded to the family computer, making the acquisition of a suitable image for the album almost effortless. One note should be made here about another development in processing; color prints. The advent of full color pictures made a significant aesthetic change to the family album. In the 19th and early 20th Centuries, the photographs were all in black and white. This was a somewhat sterile presentation that, while accurate, lacked the warmth and fullness of the color print. The ability to have color images lent a much more realistic feel to the pictures. Seeing the people and events of life in color made the memory more personal, the album more visually stimulating, and increased the pleasure derived from taking and recording photographs. Of all the changes to the family album over the years, it is the presentation element that has had the most impact. This is, again, the direct result of technological advance. As previously noted, one of the most dramatic differences between the 19th and 20th Century family photo albums is the volume of material available. As Winston says, When we came to the point where we needed information on the current generation, that is "us," another problem arose - too much material. For earlier generations selecting items to include was fairly easy because there was not much information to choose from. To include "us," the amount of material was overwhelming, and what should we expect from 60 years of our own family photography.13 Presentation of this voluminous material in the family album has caused a significant change in the basic nature of the presentation. Previously, most family albums were linear, i.e., they started with pictures of ancestors14, moved to images of the current family from young to old, and brought the observer of the album to the present day. This presentation method is no longer the norm in American family albums. The volume of material has enabled a new, thematic presentation15. In a hobby process called cropping, the contributors to family albums now choose from a multiplicity of images and present them around a particular event or subject matter. They enhance these displays with creative designs like cutting the photographs into special shapes, using colored paper or stickers to highlight the page, or other creative expressions16. This is a huge departure from the traditional family album as it was constructed in the 19th Century. Synthesizing the family album "experience," let's compare the two eras. In the old style, we sit down with one large book that has tintype images of great-grandparents on the first pages. We turn the pages to find straight lines of images17 that move us to the wedding pictures of the current parents, progress through the children's lives and culminate in the last family reunion. For the late 20th Century album, however, we sit down with five or six large books that are thematically arranged. There might be one called "Ancestors" where the old pictures have been artfully placed along with calligraphic lines of memories or poems. In another book, we find a presentation that has a particular individual as its subject. We see colored paper-enhanced pages of baby photos. Heart-shaped pictures of boyfriends and dates. Here, we find confetti-draped pages of parties and photos of friends adorned by wrapping paper or candy-cane stickers. This is definitely not the traditional family album as experienced in the 19th Century, but it is the common one of modern America. One final note about the presentation of images in the family album must be made, as it represents the greatest technology-based difference between the 19th and 20th Century family album: image manipulation. In the early era, the image in the picture was a true representation of the moment. It might be blurry or not composed well, but the viewer could rely on the fact that the picture accurately documented the subject. If the people were standing in front of the rail at the Grand Canyon, then they had actually been there to have the photo taken. With the advent of digital photography, and the software that can manipulate that image, we can no longer have a confident reliance upon the image representing the facts. It is now possible to take an element from one photograph, superimpose it on another photograph, smooth, brush, color-correct, and enhance the final picture to look authentic. This fact makes an unprecedented impact on the modern family album, particularly when the idea is combined with the thematic nature of family albums explained above. If the album's creator has a sufficient number of images, and good supply of materials, and a creative mind, he can make a convincing portrayal of anything; factual or fantasy. Jobey points out some of the implications of this technology by stating: You can easily see why some relatives might have been reluctant to offer themselves up to the album. The lucky ones might be set into the petals of a flower, or replace the fruit on a tree, complete with love-birds. The unlucky could find themselves pasted between the claws of a crab, the jaws of a dog, or decorating a flag on a stake which is being hammered into the ground by an Indian manservant with a particularly malevolent eye.18 While comical in this example, the impact on the family album is potentially dramatic. Technology has delivered photography from truthfulness. In the past, there were techniques that a photographer or developer could employ to make things appear differently than they actually were. In modern times, however, that ability has increased exponentially to the point that even a forensic scientist might not be able to tell whether the images in the photograph were real or imagined. Compared to the limitations inherent in the 19th Century album, it could be argued that the modern family album isn't even the same thing. Conclusion In evaluating the ways that the family album has changed from the 19th to the 20th Centuries, many things have been enumerated. Noting the dramatic changes between the two eras, we have looked at the purpose of the album, the people of the album, and the images of the album. The purpose of the family album has not changed that much from century to century. In both eras, the idea is to create a record of people, events, and memories that can be appreciated at the time and passed down to future generations. It is a function of familial remembrance and commonality. There is the desire to document our lives, look back and remember them, and share them with relatives born years after our deaths that we will never know. That, however, is where the similarities between the two periods end. The pictures in the modern family album do not look like those in the 19th Century album because society and social evolution have changed the American individual and her family. The modern American is not interested in a ceremonial presentation of self as much as she is interested in living her life. Less concerned that others should perceive her correctly or in any particular manner, she is more likely to take the view that she is what she is, and future generations will just have to understand that. This is a completely foreign concept to the 19th Century individual. The families portrayed in the modern album look differently from their previous-era counterparts because they are, indeed, different. What is considered family in America now would be scandalous to the people of the earlier era. Finally, and most significantly, technology has made the modern family album radically different. The ease at which a photograph can be taken, processed, and presented has transformed the album from a linear documentation of people and events to a thematic, artistic expression of a life lived. The family album of today, outside of its primary purpose, does not even resemble that of yesteryear. References Braive, M.F., quoted in Handbook of American Popular Culture, ed. M. Inge, Vol. II, (Greenwood Press: New York, 1989), p. 904. Hoffman, K., Concepts of Identity: Historical and Contemporary Images and Portraits of Self and Family,(Icon Editions: New York, 1996), p. 204 Jobey, L., 'Keeping Aunty out of the Picture: Ruthless Cut and Paste in the English Family Album', New Statesman, Vol. 125 (1996), 38-42, p. 38. Lury, C., Prosthetic Culture: Photography, Memory and Identity, (Routledge: London, 1998), p. 42. Trimble, J. K., "Personal Photographic Archives of the Descendants of Maj. George Washington Box," Unpublished, (2006). Shawcross, N., Roland Barthes on Photography: The Critical Tradition in Perspective, (University Press of Florida: Gainesville, 1997), p. 23. Weiser, J., 'Phototherapy Techniques: Using Clients' Personal Snapshots and Family Photos as Counseling and Therapy Tools', Afterimage, Vol. 29 (2001), 10-15, (p. 10). Winston, A., 'The Ancestral Family Album', PSA Journal, Vol. 66, Issue 9 (2000), p. 35. Wright, T., The Photography Handbook,(Routledge: New York, 1999), pp. 9-10. Appendix19 Figure One - Gentleman's Portrait (c. 1886) Figure Two - Grandfather Playing Baseball with Children (1999) Figure Three - Family Photo (c. 1898) Figure Four - Modern Thematic Album Page (1994) Figure Five - Modern Creative Expressions (1993) Figure Six - Photo Album (c. 1910) Figure 7 - Photo Album (c. 1923) Read More