Dominici, S. 2018. ‘Cyclo-Photographers’, Visual Modernity, and the Development of Camera Technologies, 1880s–1890s. History of Photography. 42 (1), pp. 46-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/03087298.2018.1423739
| Title | ‘Cyclo-Photographers’, Visual Modernity, and the Development of Camera Technologies, 1880s–1890s |
|---|---|
| Type | Journal article |
| Authors | Dominici, S. |
| Abstract | The intertwined development of popular photography and cycling in Britain was felt so close that, in the 1880s, contemporary commentators could write of ‘cyclo-photographers’. The camera apparatus available at this time, bulky and fragile, was largely impractical to carry on a ride, and thus cyclo-photographers joined outdoor photographers in asking manufacturers for simpler and easier to operate cameras. However, a close reading of primary sources reveals that such demands were also the result of a new engagement with the possibility of seeing enabled by cycling itself. What was the cyclo-photographers’ experience of visual modernity? This article explores whether, and in what ways, the parallel emergence of a desire for compact cameras was linked to the new, and interconnected, ways of moving and seeing that the engagement with these two modern cultural technologies had made possible. |
| Keywords | camera manufacturers, camera technology, compact cameras, cycling, cyclo-photographers, popular modernism, popular photography, visual modernity |
| Journal | History of Photography |
| Journal citation | 42 (1), pp. 46-60 |
| ISSN | 2150-7295 |
| Year | 2018 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
| Accepted author manuscript | |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/03087298.2018.1423739 |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | 23 May 2018 |