The Photographic Invention of Whiteness: The Visual Cultures of White Atlantic Worlds

This book explores how early photographic imagery contributed to the development and exploitation of Whiteness in the colonial Atlantic World of the mid-to-late nineteenth century. It argues that the daguerreotype allowed White European settlers to imagine themselves as a supra-national community, and their dispersal throughout the colonial territories led to the emergence of a new representative type of Whiteness that merged with the portrayal of modernity. Images have acted as a medium of the imaginary, allowing for ideas around classification and the measurement of value to travel and to situate themselves as universal means, and contemporary societies still grapple with the residues of race, gender, class, and sexuality first established by this representational medium.

Format: Hardback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 28 July 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive study delves into the intricate relationship between early photographic imagery and the emergence and exploitation prevalent in the colonial Atlantic World during the mid-to-late nineteenth century. The advent of the daguerreotype, a revolutionary imaging technique, played a pivotal role in shaping the concept of Whiteness. As White European settlers ventured into the colonial territories, they began to perceive themselves as part of a supra-national community, where the pursuit of wealth became increasingly attainable through colonization. The widespread dispersion of these settlers across the colonial regions facilitated the creation of a new representative type of Whiteness, which eventually merged with the portrayal of modernity itself.

Over time, the colonization of the Atlantic World became intertwined with the fascination itself within the European mind, fixated on both a racially subordinated world and the technical media through which it was represented. Images, as a powerful medium of the imaginary, have allowed for ideas surrounding classification and the measurement of value to transcend geographical boundaries and establish themselves as universal means.

However, contemporary societies continue to grapple with the legacies of race, gender, class, and sexuality first established by the contrived mores of this representational medium. Individuals who were racialized by the camera as objects of fascination, curiosity, or concern have remained so well into the post-digital era.

This book will appeal to scholars engaged in the study of photography, art history, colonialism, and critical race theory, offering valuable insights into the complex interplay between visual representation, power dynamics, and the construction of racial identities.

Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032227344