History of Photography: 1930s to 2010 from Udemy

This course is a study of photography from the 1930s to 2010 and will focus on the historical developments, trends, styles, and movements that have shaped our understanding of photography. This course consists of chronological and thematic examinations of the role of photography in relation to artistic production, art movements, social history, landscape, politics, identity, culture, postmodernism, conceptualism, and appropriation.

We will investigate the vast array of styles, artistic practices, and movements in the medium throughout the period. We will also examine how the photograph has been positioned as a documentary tool and a form of objective truth and look at how this approach has been questioned and re-envisioned. In addition, we will explore the question of how our relationship with the photograph has changed with digital technology, and how this technological influence has affected our attitudes towards the photograph. Through this course you will learn how photography has been used to capture and transform the world, its inhabitants, conflicts, triumphs, and histories.

Slide lists with information about the images in the lectures and lists of optional short videos about the topic are provided for each lecture. I also have a History of Photography: 1839 to the 1930s course that covers the first part of photography’s history posted on Udemy.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Develop skills in formal and visual analysis
Develop an understanding of the history of photography and its relationship to social, economic, philosophical, and political contexts

Learn about a variety of photographers and art movements
Learn about social, political, and economic histories through analysing photography and art

Develop skills in formal and visual analysis
Develop an understanding of the history of photography and its relationship to social, economic, philosophical, and political contexts
Learn about a variety of photographers and art movements
Learn about social, political, and economic histories through analysing photography and art

Syllabus

Introduction

Learn about how photography reflected and changed society in the 1930s and 1940s

Social Change & the Camera: (1930s & 1940s)

Learn about how photography showed and influenced World War Two

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Examines the relationship between photography and art movements, which provides a strong foundation for understanding the evolution and context of photographic works

Explores the use of photography as a documentary tool, which is essential for those interested in photojournalism or documentary photography

Investigates how photography has been used to capture and transform the world, which is useful for those seeking to understand photography's impact

Requires learners to take another course to cover the first part of photography's history, which may be a barrier for some learners

Explores the impact of digital technology on photography, which is highly relevant for understanding contemporary photographic practices

Reviews summary

History of photography overview (1930s-2010)

According to learners, this course provides a comprehensive overviewpositive of the history of photography from 1930 to 2010, covering a wide rangepositive of key movements and figures within their social and political contextspositive. Many appreciate the instructor's knowledge and passionpositive. However, some reviews note that the lecture deliveryneutral can sometimes feel drynegative or that the course lacks in-depth analysiswarning and detail in certain areas, suggesting it serves as a good starting pointneutral but may require supplemental materialwarning for deeper study. Opinions are mixed on whether it adequately challenges learners or is better suited for beginners.

Provided resources aid learning.

"The slides were detailed and the optional videos added great value."

"The resources provided were helpful."

"The structure is logical and easy to follow."

Instructor is very knowledgeable.

"The lecturer is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate."

"The instructor's expertise shines through."

"The instructor knows the subject well."

Covers a broad historical period well.

"Absolutely loved this course!"

"A very good overview of the period."

"Engrossing lectures, well-structured syllabus, and a deep exploration..."

"Excellent, engaging, and informative course! Perfect for gaining a comprehensive overview..."

Lecture delivery can be inconsistent.

"the lecture delivery can be a bit dry at times."

"Some lectures were engaging, others less so."

"Lectures jumped between topics quickly without much depth."

Provides an introduction, but lacks detail.

"Sometimes felt a little rushed in certain sections..."

"Felt like an introduction, and I needed to supplement with external readings."

"While the topic is interesting, the course felt superficial."

"Some parts felt like they were just listing artists/movements without enough critical analysis."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in History of Photography: 1930s to 2010 with these activities:

Review art history fundamentals

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Strengthen your foundation for understanding photographic movements by reviewing key concepts in art history.

Browse courses on Art History

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Review basic art historical periods and movements.
Familiarize yourself with key art terminology.
Identify major artists and their contributions.

Create a timeline of photographic movements

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Solidify your understanding of the chronological development of photography by creating a visual timeline.

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Research key photographic movements from 1930 to 2010.
Identify the defining characteristics of each movement.
Create a timeline, including dates, key figures, and examples.
Share your timeline with peers for feedback.

Read 'On Photography' by Susan Sontag

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Deepen your understanding of photography's cultural impact by reading and reflecting on Susan Sontag's essays.

View Sontag on Film on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'On Photography'.
Read the essays, taking notes on key arguments.
Reflect on how Sontag's ideas relate to the course material.

Four other activities

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Create a presentation on a photographer

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Solidify your knowledge of a specific photographer by creating and delivering a presentation on their work.

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Choose a photographer from the course.
Research their life, work, and influences.
Prepare a presentation with images and information.
Practice your presentation for clarity and conciseness.

Review 'The Photograph as Contemporary Art' by Charlotte Cotton

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Gain a broader perspective on contemporary photography by exploring the key themes and artists discussed in Charlotte Cotton's book.

View The Photograph as Contemporary Art (World of... on Amazon

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Acquire a copy of 'The Photograph as Contemporary Art'.
Browse the book, focusing on chapters relevant to course topics.
Research artists mentioned in the book to expand your knowledge.

Analyze the use of photography in a specific historical event

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Deepen your understanding of the relationship between photography and social history by researching and analyzing its role in a specific event.

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Choose a historical event from the course's timeframe.
Research the photographic coverage of the event.
Analyze the images, considering their context and impact.
Write a report summarizing your findings.

Curate a virtual photography exhibition

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Develop your curatorial skills and understanding of photographic styles by creating a virtual exhibition.

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Select a theme for your exhibition.
Choose photographs from the course's timeframe that fit the theme.
Write captions and descriptions for each photograph.
Design a virtual exhibition space to showcase your selections.

Career center

Learners who complete History of Photography: 1930s to 2010 will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Art historian

An Art Historian researches and interprets art, placing it within its historical context. A deep understanding of photography's evolution, as provided by this course, is vital for any art historian specializing in the medium. This course covers key periods and movements from the 1930s to 2010, such as the impact of World War II on photography, and the relationship between photography and Pop Art, conceptualism, and postmodernism. It is especially helpful for art historians to analyze visual material and relate it to the social, political, and economic context, as this course teaches. This course may be particularly useful for someone entering this role who wants to specialize in contemporary photography, as it covers the developments up to 2010, including digital photography.

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Curator

A Curator is responsible for the acquisition, care, research, and exhibition of art within a museum or gallery. This course helps by providing a strong historical framework for understanding photography, an essential skill for any curator working with photographic collections. This course covers photography from the 1930s to the 2010s, teaching about the major movements and trends that shaped the medium. As a curator, an in-depth understanding of how photography has been used in relation to social history, politics, identity, and culture is important, and this course covers these topics in depth. Understanding the impact of digital technology on photography, as covered in this course, is also important for a curator working with contemporary works. This course may be particularly useful for those interested in curating photographic exhibitions from a historical perspective.

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Photo Editor

A Photo Editor is a professional who selects, edits, and arranges photographs for publication in print or online media. This course helps to develop a sophisticated understanding of the history of photography, giving a photo editor a critical viewpoint. A photo editor must also understand the cultural and political context of images, and this course helps to contextualize images through its examination of social history, politics, and identity. The course covers photography from the 1930s to 2010, including how photography has been used as a documentary tool and form of objective truth - vital knowledge for a photo editor. This course may be useful for anyone wanting to pursue this role, because it provides a strong foundation in the evolution of this medium.

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Archivist

An archivist is responsible for appraising, arranging, describing, and preserving historical records and documents; these often include photographs. This course is helpful for any archivist working with photographic collections because it provides a historical background on photography from the 1930s to 2010. An archivist must have an understanding of the historical context, as well as the key movements and trends that shaped photography. This course also explores themes such as photography's relationship to social history, politics, and identity, all of which are important for an archivist to interpret and preserve information about historical records. An archivist can better understand their collection by understanding how photography has been used to capture and transform the world, its inhabitants, conflicts, and histories, as discussed in this course. This course may be helpful for archivists specializing in photographic archives.

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Art Critic

An Art Critic analyzes and evaluates works of art, often writing reviews for publication. This course helps by providing a deep understanding of the history of photography that is essential for anyone entering the field of art criticism. An art critic, especially one who specializes in photography, needs to know the medium's evolution, as well as its relation to social, economic, philosophical, and political contexts. This course covers these topics in depth, especially for the period between 1930 and 2010. It provides vital information about the various movements, styles, and artistic practices within the field of photography. This course dives into how photography has been positioned as a documentary tool and a form of objective truth, which is important for an art critic to discuss. This course may be useful to art critics seeking to critically assess photographic works.

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Visual Researcher

A visual researcher sources and manages visual material for publications, exhibitions, or other projects. This course helps build a solid foundation in the history of photography. A visual researcher is often tasked with finding images to convey certain themes, and this course covers many relevant themes, including social change, war, culture, art movements, and identity. Understanding the historical context of images is vital for a visual researcher, and this course focuses on the period from the 1930s to 2010. The course also addresses how the photograph has been positioned as a documentary tool, and how this approach has been questioned and re-envisioned, skills that help a visual researcher to find appropriate images. This course may be useful to those who want to source photographic material.

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Documentary Filmmaker

A Documentary Filmmaker creates films that document aspects of reality, and using photography is a big part of this. This course helps a documentary filmmaker by providing a deep understanding of how photography has been used to capture and transform the world. This course covers the history of photography from the 1930s to 2010, including how photography has been used as a documentary tool, and how this approach has been questioned and re-envisioned. The course also covers how photography has been used to explore and reflect social history, politics, and identity, all subjects that are often the subject of documentary films. This course may be useful for a filmmaker working with historical photography.

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Fine Art Photographer

A Fine Art Photographer creates photographs as an artistic expression, often with an emphasis on conceptual and aesthetic concerns. Exploring the history of photography can help shape the work of a fine art photographer. This course covers the numerous styles, artistic practices, and movements in photography from the 1930s to the 2010s. A fine art photographer could find the course's exploration of photography's relationship to art movements such as Pop Art, conceptualism, and postmodernism useful. This course also explores how photographers have focused on landscape, identity, and politics, which can provide inspiration for a fine art photographer. This course may be useful to any fine art photographer looking to build their technique and ideas by exploring the history and trajectory of their medium.

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Art Consultant

An Art Consultant advises clients on the acquisition, sale, and management of art. This course helps by giving a consultant a strong foundation in the history of photography. An art consultant should be able to discuss the major movements and trends that have shaped photography, and this course covers them from the 1930s to 2010. An art consultant should also be able to discuss the social, political, and economic context of works of art, as covered in this course. Understanding how the medium has evolved, including the impact of digital technology, is also important for an art consultant. This course may be useful for anyone wanting to become an art consultant specializing in photography.

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Historical Researcher

A Historical Researcher conducts research into historical topics, often using primary source documents, which can include photographs. As this course covers the history of photography from the 1930s to 2010, it helps a historical researcher gain a deep understanding of this medium. This course examines the role of photography in relation to social history, politics, identity, and culture, offering the historical researcher critical context for their work. A historical researcher should also be aware of how photography has been positioned as a documentary tool and a form of objective truth, and how that has been questioned, and reenvisioned, which this course addresses directly. This course may be useful for a historical researcher who is working with photographic sources.

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Multimedia Artist

A multimedia artist integrates various forms of media into their artwork, which can include photography. Having a strong understanding of photography is useful for a multimedia artist; this course covers the history of photography from the 1930s to 2010, with an emphasis on its relationship to other art forms. This course investigates the vast array of styles, artistic practices, and movements in the medium during this period, and it may help a multimedia artist to gain a new perspective on this medium. If a multimedia artist wants to understand better how photography can be used in an artistic way, this course, which delves into the medium's use in conceptual art, postmodernism, and appropriation is helpful. This course may be useful for a multimedia artist seeking to explore the use of photography in their practice.

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Social Media Manager

A Social Media Manager is responsible for creating and curating content for social media platforms. This course helps by providing a historical context for analyzing photographic material, which can be useful for any social media manager who is working with images. This course examines the role of photography in relation to social history, politics, identity, and culture, and this is relevant to anyone who is communicating or curating content online. The course covers the period from 1930s to 2010s, which includes the transition from analog to digital photography. This course may be useful to a social media manager who wants to add depth to their analysis of visual content.

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Marketing Professional

A Marketing Professional develops and implements marketing strategies for products or services. This course helps a marketing professional by providing an understanding of how visual media, and photography in particular, has influenced society from the 1930s to the 2010s. This course explores how photography has been used to capture and transform the world, its inhabitants, conflicts, and histories, which can help inform a marketing professional's understanding of the power of images. A marketing professional can learn about how photography has been used in relation to social history, politics, and identity, helping them to craft better marketing campaigns. This course may be useful for those seeking to integrate images into their marketing strategy.

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Journalist

A Journalist researches and reports on current events, often incorporating photographs into their reporting. This course helps a journalist by providing a historical context for the use of photography as a documentary tool. This course looks at how photography has been positioned as a form of objective truth, and how this approach has been questioned and re-envisioned, which is important to a journalist using images in their reporting. The course also covers how photography has been used in relation to social history, politics, and identity, offering ways to analyze the impact of photography. This course may be useful to a journalist seeking to better understand the medium of photography.

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Educator

An educator teaches students in an academic setting. This course helps any educator who wants to discuss the history of photography with their students. The course explores the history of this medium, from 1930s to 2010, and its relation to artistic production, art movements, social history, landscape, politics, identity, culture, postmodernism, conceptualism, and appropriation. Educators who are looking for a course to help them develop a curriculum on the history of photography may find the syllabus of this course particularly useful. The course helps educators by providing a wide array of information from the 1930s to 2010, which can be used in the classroom. This course may be useful for educators seeking a strong background on the history of photography.

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Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in History of Photography: 1930s to 2010.

Sontag on Film

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Susan Sontag's 'On Photography' seminal work that explores the role of photography in modern society. It delves into the philosophical, ethical, and aesthetic implications of the medium. Reading this book will provide a deeper understanding of the concepts discussed in the course, particularly regarding the photograph's impact on culture and perception. It is valuable as additional reading to expand on the course's themes.

The Photograph as Contemporary Art

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Charlotte Cotton's book offers a comprehensive overview of contemporary photography practices. It examines the diverse ways in which photographers have utilized the medium since the 1960s. is particularly useful for understanding the later periods covered in the course, such as postmodernism and digital photography. It serves as a valuable reference tool for identifying key artists and movements.

The Photograph as Contemporary Art (World of Art)

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History of Photography

1930s to 2010

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

History of photography overview (1930s-2010)

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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