2006

Sarah M. Miller

  • Doctoral Student
  • University of Chicago

Project

Inventing "Documentary" in American Photography, 1930-1945: From Experimental Practices to Public Contests

Program

Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art

Department

Department of Art History

Abstract

This study examines multiple, competing concepts of "documentary" in American photography, as they were formulated and set into circulation through specific photographic projects and publications. Refuting prevalent theories of documentary as a singular genre or ideological imperative, this study instead historicizes documentary as a terrain of experiment and contest as the medium's cultural and artistic roles multiplied in the 1930s-40s.