The+Blue+and+Gray+in+Black+and+White+-+6th


 * ** Day of Discussion ** || ** Date to complete reading: ** || **Read the following pages**: ||
 * Friday || 11/19 || 1 to 17 ||
 * Tuesday || 11/23 || 17 to 63 ||
 * Thursday || 12/2 || 64 to 99 ||
 * Friday || 12/10 || 102 to 137 ||
 * Friday || 12/17 || 137 to 180 ||
 * Friday || 1/7 || 180 to END ||

=__Week 1 __=

__** Reading Questions pages 1-17 11/19/2010: **__ 1. Why do you think painters thought that photography would destroy painting? 2. On page 2 it says how many daguerreotype artists there were and the number seems small. Why do you think more people did not gain interest in the new technology. 3. Why do you think photographic techniques were able to progress so fast? 4. The author talks about how Morse said that daguerreotypes and telegraphs are the two great wonders of Paris. What do you think the "wonders" of our generation are? 5. Why do you think that war was such a popular subject in early photography? (D-padge)

__** Summary: **__ The creation of photography has nearly changed the way people look at the world, literally. In the reading, a number of contributions to the creation of photography are talked about. It makes sense that the title of the chapter is called "The Era of the American Daguerreotype" because the first real remnants of a photograph came from things such as daguerrotypes. A daguerrotype is described as, "...each plate held a scene that shimmered elusively through the mirrored reflection beaming from the silver surface." These were among the first photographic images, like stated before. During these times, throughout the 1800s, problems with this new technique and advancement arose. Artists worried that photography foreshadowed the end of painting and it evoked suspicion and uneasiness in the less educated. Many young, ambitious men such as Edward Anthony, Matthew Brady, Philip Haas, and George Cook were caught up in the whirlwind of American capitalism in the start of a glorious new era of progress and innovation. With an intriguing new art form, thousands of Americans, including several dozen African Americans and near 250 women, were able to express their passionate ideas and talent while making a living. Not only recognized as an art at the time, these workers recognized their crafts importance and how it represented a new and powerful tool to be used in history. As our key quote states, in which also wraps up Chapter 1 incredibly well is, "After centuries of dreaming, more than two decades of serious experimentation, and no small measure of frustration, a practical, repeatable, and marketable form of photography came into being." (Grace H.)

"After centuries of dreaming, more than two decades of serious experimentation, and no small measure of frustration, a practical, repeatable, and marketable form of photography came into being."
 * __ Essential quote of Discussion one: __**

We selected this quote because it completely sums up the entire section of reading in much less words. This section is a lot, maybe even too much, information on the start of photography, so this quote serves a kind of the bare minimum you need to know in order to understand the rest of the book.It also is used as sort of a transitional sentence for the rest of the book. It is saying that this is how the start of photography began, it didn't just pop out of thin air, it took time and patience, to reach the perfect point. -Jenna Smith


 * __ Unknown words: __**

Nicety (2) A fine detail or distinction, one regarded as intricate and fussy. Latent (4) present and capable of emerging or developing but not now visible, obvious, active. Halftone (5) A reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of dots. (Think about a newspaper comic strip) Burgeoning (10) Begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish. Conflagration (13) an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, health, property or ecology. Arcane (16) known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric.

__Week 2 __

 * __ Discussion Questions pages 17-63 11/23/10: __**

Response: Photography for a campaign is like selling a product, the more attractive something is portrayed the more appealing it is to its viewers. We all could understand and agree that photographs, especially in the civil war era, impact a campaign significantly because a single photo can alter someone’s view. For example, Lincoln usually was described as a lanky and odd looking man, but the photographs M.B. Brady took of Lincoln depicts him as a strong, attractive, patriot. Clearly though a candidates policies are much more important than how he is publicized, but a photograph has the ability to change the way a person views another. Response: -The Carte Devisite made photography more common and more accessible, because it gave the ability to copy photos on a smaller and lightweight backdrop, making them cheaper. Thus more people had photographs, not just the wealthy. -Also becoming a photographer became very prestigious, so more people came into the career, which clearly made more photographs being sold, making photos less valuable and more common. Response: At first photography was definitely used as more of an influence, to show significant events to the world, but as time went by and methods became more advanced, it also developed into a form of entertainment and art. Neither outweighed the other, photography was used evenly for both the purpose of entertainment and knowledge. Photographs were used in newspapers and to document images of the war, but also used in art museums, and for fun like stereo images (images that appear 3D when putting them into binoculars, called a stereoscope) Not discussed upon. Response**:** There is clearly always a hope to making money for any profession, but for any job the factor of caring and interest also plays an important role. We discussed that when regarding photography jobs, people who are paparazzi, clearly don’t have a sentimental feeling towards the job, it is probably more for money. But for jobs like wildlife photographers or people documented events like war, you must have a large care for whatever it is, because without that care the photographers wouldn’t have the patience or ability to take such perfect timed and beautiful pictures.
 * 1) Zeller seems to say that photography helped Lincoln win the Presidential election (pg. 18). Do you agree with this? If so, in what ways can photography impact a campaign? **
 * 2) In this section, what are examples of photography progressing and becoming a more normal and modern part of everyday life? **
 * 3) Compare and contrast the ways that photography was a form of leisure or a form of influence. Which do you think is photography more used for, back in the mid 19th century, and today? **
 * 4) Why did Photographer George Cook’s friends from the North show great fear for him having a studio in the South during the start of the Civil war? Was it due to his profession and what he stood for or for just the location he was in? (pg.31-32) **
 * 5) Journalistic photos when regarding the civil war, were in high demand not only for educational purposes but for money too. For example on pages 32-39, Cook is being demanded to take pictures of Major Anderson due to his celebrity status. Many companies approach Cook asking him to retain the pictures as they will make a significantly large profit. Do you feel that now a days capturing images for current events have motives other than spreading knowledge? **

__﻿__-Jenna Smith

__** Essential Quote of Discussion Two: **__ "Stereoscopic photography and other innovations aside, the cast majority of American photographers in the late 1850s confined their efforts to what had been the lucrative business of personal portraiture." (27)

We selected this as our essential quote for the week, because the reading describes how photographers once used photography to make a living and for "lucrative" means but how that all started to come to an end at the beginning of the Civil War. Good times for photographers ended with the financial Panic of 1857, and went on when life became more troublesome for the people of America. While most all jobs and the vast economy were declining during this time, the Civil War brought photographers more prosperity because it was finally something that "needed" to be captured now that they had all of the necessities for doing so. Overall, this quote best describes that this time brought many challenges and conflicts for photographers but led them in the right direction in where they wanted to be successful (Civil War). -Grace Higgins __** Difficult Words: **__ 1. Carte De Viste: A small photograph that could be produced in large quantities 2. Obsolescence: The state of something becoming obsolete, or something becoming no longer in general use. 3. Largesse: generous bestowal of gifts -Danny Padgitt

__** Summary: **__ After humble roots, photography continued to evolve. Brady took Lincoln's portrait. It is argued that this portrait won him the presidency. "Brady and the Copper institute made me president." - Lincoln. With photography becoming more and more popular, photos started popping up everywhere. They proved especially handy for journalism. PIctures were taken of the a large fire in New york, opening the door to the use of photography in journalism. A large leap in photography was made by the invention of the carte de viste. This photo graph was reletivly inexpensive and could be mass produced. Photographers aggressivly marketed carte de vistes, creating another niche for the burgeoning art of photography. It was not until Anderson took over a southern fort that we begin to learn about the Civil War.Photgraphers vied for shots of the first battles, and a high demand was created for war photos. The government embraced the new photographers and allowed MB Brady to take pictures of the troops at camp. We learn about the mechanics of battle field photography, and the experiences of the great photographers of the time at Bull Run, and Fort Sumter. The stage is set at the end of chapter 4 for the large bloody battle at Antietam Creek.

=__Week 3 __= =__** Word Choice and Key vocabulary: **__ = 1) __"Terrible fascination:"__ page 65, paragraph 3, line 15 __Analysis:__ Zeller used the phrase terrible fascination to show that although people felt outraged by these new war photographs, they also could not look away. 2) __Aeronaut__: page 67, paragraph 10, line 8 __Definition: __ A pilot of a balloon or other lighter-than-air aircraft 3. __USMRR:__ page 89, paragraph 18, line 9 __Definition__: United States Military Railroads 4) __Antietam:__ page 72, paragraph 15, line 14 (also brought up a lot through the chapter, was a key photographic success for Gardner) __Definition:__ a creek flowing from S Pennsylvania through NW Maryland into the Potomac: Civil War battle fought near here at Sharpsburg, Maryland, in 1862. -Jenna Smith

1. Why were photographers such as Gardner and Brady so influential at the beginning of war photography? In what ways did they contribute at Camp Winfield Scott and others? 2.List photographers who worked for the Confederate and Union sides during the Civil War. 3.What were 5 different articles of information in which photographs were displayed to the public? In what ways did they help educate people what was going on in the country? 4.Why did photographs suddenly become essential for newspapers? 5. Describe how photography helps people understand wars and how they are portrayed to the everyday person. 6. What factors contributed to photography becoming more prominent in everyday life? (Don't have responses because I was not in class for discussion.) __** Discussion Questions from Class Including Responses: **__ 1. Why was Brady so powerful? -Brady recieved credit for most Civil War photography. Forefront of photography. He took Lincoln's picture. 2. Why didn't they take pictures out of the hot air baloon? -It was too shaky, 1 of 8 negatives came out. 3. Post mortem pictures? -Not many were taken in the Civil War. Very popular outside of war. Very personal, to remember a family member. 4. 3D Pictures? -A multilayered photo, Tuck Everlasting. More popular than regular photos? Where can I find one? (Grace Higgins)
 * __ Discussion Questions: __**

= ﻿Summary =

It talks about how in the battle of Antietam there were a few pictures taken using stereoscopes,and for the firs time ever there were

pictures taken of dead soldiers. The pictures of the dead soldiers became very popular and postmortem photography became very

popular. Professor Thaddeus Lowe went up in a large hot air balloon to observe the battlefield however no photos were taken from

this balloon because it was too shaky and the pictures could not be exposed properly. It goes on to talk about Brady who was a

very renowned photographer, and how he had many many photographers working under him and how he went around taking

lots of pictures throughout the battlefront of the civil war.It continues to talk about the hospitals that were used in the civil war,

and shows many pictures of the battlefield of Antietam. it also shows lots of pictures of the troops and talks about how they were

living, and who the photos were taken by.

__** Essential Quote **__:

Lee soon began to plan a second invasion of the North, and A.J Russel headed back to Alexandria to print hundreds of copies of his photographs to the highest levels of civilian and military leadership. Page 99

I chose this quote because it hit many of the topics discussed in the reading. General Robert Lee's ongoing fight with the north is referenced, letting the reader know this war will not end soon. A.J Russel was a photographer of the time who lived with the troops and took famous battle panoramas. His pictures are filled with important historical information, and were some of the most progressive at their time. His times with the troops are a large piece of chapter 6. Russel capitalized on his exclusive war photographs by distributing them to all. The military used his photos as inteligence, and the rich bought his photos for high prices. This Russel the finances he needed to travel with the troops, and the access he required to get up close during battles. This quote describes the war on both the military side, and the photographic side.

=Week 4 =


 * __ Discussion Questions: __**

1.On page 104 it says, "Brady's wide screen vision was one perspective; Gardner' hard news photojournalism was quite another." What differences did you see between the sets of photos taken at Gettysburg? How do these reflect the photographer's specific backgrounds?

2. In the book, the battle at Gettysburg was overshadowed by the photographer's experiences after the battle. Much more time was spent on Gardner and Brady's fight to take the best photos. Which would you have rather read about?

3.At the end of Chapter 7, the author shows the powerful effect photography had at the time. "A photographer made an image of the shackles, providing photographic evidence to a story that started because of another photograph." Does photography play this important of a role today? What today holds as much power as photography did?

4. Hass played two roles in the war. He doubled as a photographer and soldier. Hass was able to capture stunning battle photos in his positon.What new angles did Hass bring to civil war photography? What did Hass and other battle phographers capture, that made battle photos so appealing?

5. Two sects of civil war photography are displayed in the book. Photojournalist photos, and photos better described as art. The two seemed to be used interchangebly in the media at the time, little thought was given to the purpose of the picture. What sets these two types of photos apart? Where does art belong and where does photojournalism belong?

Ryan

__** Word Choice and Key Vocabulary: **__ 1. festooned: a decorative representation of this, as in architectural work or on pottery (101) 2.acrimonious: caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, behavior (101) 3. Antietam Stereographs: similar to photographs, used in the Civil War(103) 4. met iculous: taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise; thorough (103) 5. memento: an object or item that serves to remind one of a person, past event, etc.; keepsake; souvenir (103) 6. rancor: bitter, rankling resentment or ill will; hatred; malice (104) 7. futility: the quality of being futile; ineffectiveness; uselessness (104) 8. panorama: an unobstructed and wide view of an extensive area in all directions. (104) 9. "ebb and flow": this means to increases then decrease (104) 10. offal: refuse; rubbish; garbage (106) 11. maladorous: having an unpleasant or offensive odor; smelling bad (113) 12. putrefaction: the state of being putrefied; decay (118) 13. "pickets and skirmishers": this means troops, term of war (106) 14. desultory: lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful (126) 15. detritus: any disintegrated material; debris. (131)  There were many vocabulary words in this week's section and were important to the understanding of the reading! (Grace Higgins)

__** Essential Quote **__ "The difference between Alexander Gardners ghettysburg photographs and those of M.B. Brady is the difference between live bodies and dead ones"(105). I choose this quote because I think that these two photographers were really important to the revolution of the art and this is how their styles are contrasted, both are discussed in detail and this quote sums them up in one sentance. -Danny Padgitt

__** Summary: **__ ** ﻿ ** Alexander Gardner, previously one of M.B. Brady's entourage, broke out on his own with extremely impressive photographs, so even taken at night! Including Photographs of Harper's Ferry, Cedar Mountain and the Peninsular campaign. Tension between Gardner and Brady did arise as the student essentially exceeded the teacher. After the Battle of Gettysburg, both Gardner and Brady went to photograph the battlefield with the intent to "outshoot" one another. Each photographer took vital photos that are quite historical, though each with such different views and perspectives that it is difficult to pick a champion, as the photos are all too different. Putting Brady and Gardner aside, George S. Cook, another famous civil war photographer, became the first person to capture an image while being under fire, meaning in the midst of a battle. This set new goals and brought a new age of civil war photography. -Jenna Smith