Long neglected in favor of urban-centric narratives of photographic history, rural photography offers a rich field for interdisciplinary inquiry. To produce original research on rural photography in Europe during the long 19th century, this international research project proposes a series of online workshops leading up to an in-person symposium, exhibition, and publication. This first edition of the project focuses on the theme of rural photography and the environment. From the origins of the photographic medium in the mid-nineteenth century, when photography was conceived of as “sun writing,” photography has been understood as working with, just as much as working on, the rural environment. Drawing from sources across Europe, the project will investigate how photography pictured the rural environment in the industrial era.
- Participating universities: Université Paris Cité, University of Pisa, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, King’s College London
- Project promoter: Lauren Pankin, Université Paris Cité
- Budget awarded: 7.170 €
- Project period: 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2025