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War, Photography, Business: New Critical Histories

Tom Allbeson, Pippa Oldfield

Journal of War & Culture Studies, Volume: 9, Issue: 2, Pages: 94 - 114

Swansea University Author: Tom Allbeson

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DOI (Published version): 10.1080/17526272.2016.1190203

Abstract

This article offers a critique of conventional histories of war photography, which have tended to focus on the biographies of individual renowned photojournalists or particular aesthetically striking images of conflict. We argue the need for an expanded conception of war photography which encompasse...

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Published in: Journal of War & Culture Studies
ISSN: 1752-6272 1752-6280
Published: Informa UK Limited 2016
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa29672
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first_indexed 2016-08-30T18:51:25Z
last_indexed 2020-08-03T12:46:10Z
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spelling 2020-08-03T10:36:38.4532867 v2 29672 2016-08-30 War, Photography, Business: New Critical Histories 73c561ddc1a5aa7c86826a3f53af9135 Tom Allbeson Tom Allbeson true false 2016-08-30 AHIS This article offers a critique of conventional histories of war photography, which have tended to focus on the biographies of individual renowned photojournalists or particular aesthetically striking images of conflict. We argue the need for an expanded conception of war photography which encompasses not only reportage, but numerous other uses in wartime of photographic images and technologies, from reconnaissance imagery to the application of innovations made by photographic companies in the development of weaponry and other military hardware. In parallel, we argue for an appreciation of the broader network of actors, organisations and institutions relevant to war photography in this sense—a network encompassing not only the military and the state, but also photographic companies, weapons manufacturers, individual entrepreneurs, media companies and the public. We proffer the term ‘war photography complex’ as shorthand for this broad cultural phenomenon and aim to prompt a broader sustained engagement with the reciprocity between, on the one hand, the strategy and prosecution of war and, on the other hand, photographic practices and products. The case is also made for the contribution of business history (encompassing both the histories of companies and industry) to examining war photography, acting as a much-needed supplement to methodologies from cultural history and photography studies. Finally, discussing war photography from the Second World War to the Cold War, we articulate the key research questions which constitute this proposed research agenda. Journal Article Journal of War & Culture Studies 9 2 94 114 Informa UK Limited 1752-6272 1752-6280 Photography; conflict; industry; military-industrial complex; war photography complex; cultural history; visual studies; business history 1 7 2016 2016-07-01 10.1080/17526272.2016.1190203 COLLEGE NANME History COLLEGE CODE AHIS Swansea University 2020-08-03T10:36:38.4532867 2016-08-30T13:43:42.6995385 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Culture and Communication - History Tom Allbeson 1 Pippa Oldfield 2 0029672-30082016134941.pdf Allbeson_Oldfield_War_Photography_Business_2016.pdf 2016-08-30T13:49:41.9100000 Output 402375 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true 2018-01-01T00:00:00.0000000 true English
title War, Photography, Business: New Critical Histories
spellingShingle War, Photography, Business: New Critical Histories
Tom Allbeson
title_short War, Photography, Business: New Critical Histories
title_full War, Photography, Business: New Critical Histories
title_fullStr War, Photography, Business: New Critical Histories
title_full_unstemmed War, Photography, Business: New Critical Histories
title_sort War, Photography, Business: New Critical Histories
author_id_str_mv 73c561ddc1a5aa7c86826a3f53af9135
author_id_fullname_str_mv 73c561ddc1a5aa7c86826a3f53af9135_***_Tom Allbeson
author Tom Allbeson
author2 Tom Allbeson
Pippa Oldfield
format Journal article
container_title Journal of War & Culture Studies
container_volume 9
container_issue 2
container_start_page 94
publishDate 2016
institution Swansea University
issn 1752-6272
1752-6280
doi_str_mv 10.1080/17526272.2016.1190203
publisher Informa UK Limited
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Culture and Communication - History{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Culture and Communication - History
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description This article offers a critique of conventional histories of war photography, which have tended to focus on the biographies of individual renowned photojournalists or particular aesthetically striking images of conflict. We argue the need for an expanded conception of war photography which encompasses not only reportage, but numerous other uses in wartime of photographic images and technologies, from reconnaissance imagery to the application of innovations made by photographic companies in the development of weaponry and other military hardware. In parallel, we argue for an appreciation of the broader network of actors, organisations and institutions relevant to war photography in this sense—a network encompassing not only the military and the state, but also photographic companies, weapons manufacturers, individual entrepreneurs, media companies and the public. We proffer the term ‘war photography complex’ as shorthand for this broad cultural phenomenon and aim to prompt a broader sustained engagement with the reciprocity between, on the one hand, the strategy and prosecution of war and, on the other hand, photographic practices and products. The case is also made for the contribution of business history (encompassing both the histories of companies and industry) to examining war photography, acting as a much-needed supplement to methodologies from cultural history and photography studies. Finally, discussing war photography from the Second World War to the Cold War, we articulate the key research questions which constitute this proposed research agenda.
published_date 2016-07-01T03:36:06Z
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score 11.016235

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