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Abstract
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References
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Art
Photography

Photography and Work

Profile image of Jayeeta SharmaJayeeta Sharma

2018, Radical History Review

https://doi.org/10.1215/01636545-6942345
visibility

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24 pages

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Abstract

In this article, we ask what makes photographs different from other kinds of historical source material. What can photographic images do that other documents cannot? And what traps lie in wait for the historian using the visual record? Our more fundamental concern, however, is with the capacity of photography to capture labor and capital. Photographs are of the concrete and specific; but capital abstracts, rendering equivalent that which was once concrete. Can photographs help us to see how capitalism works? Here we consider the ways that photography has been central to both the expropriation and exploitation of labor and to the artistic critique of these practices. We argue that photography documents and artistically refigures the various things—nature, work, and caring communities—that capitalism needs to continue generating surpluses in a finite world.

FAQs

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What unique insights can photographs provide into labor and capitalism?add

The study reveals that photographs can encapsulate larger social and cultural processes that textual records cannot, elucidating the complexities of labor under capitalism while also highlighting emotional responses, as seen in Anita Semenas' recollections of familial photographs in the meatpacking community.

How does the indexicality of photography complicate historical narratives?add

The research indicates that while photographs serve as historical documents, they also involve intentional framing, which complicates claims of unmediated access, necessitating a critical examination of their interpretative dimensions across iconic and symbolic registers.

What challenges arise when historians use the photographic archive?add

Historians often overlook the interpretative potential of photographs, mistakenly treating them as unproblematic sources, thus failing to recognize the methodological complexities involved in deriving meaning from visual materials.

How did social documentary photography influence perceptions of labor during the Great Depression?add

The archives from the Farm Security Administration documented labor conditions through a realist aesthetic, effectively portraying the lifestyles of ordinary workers and pressuring for significant sociopolitical reforms during the 1930s.

What is the significance of corporate photographic archives in labor history research?add

Corporate collections, such as Harvard's Baker Library archives, contain over 32,000 photographs that document industrial labor practices globally, providing essential visual evidence for researching labor and capital’s historical evolution.

Figures (1)

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