Historical Photographs Research Articles

The Revolution Will (Not?) Be Colourised: Photographs from the Indonesian National Revolution (1945–49) on Social Media

This article critically reflects on the practice of colourisation in present-day recirculations of photographs originally made during the armed Indonesian struggle for independence from Dutch colonial rule (1945–49). The article focuses on digital colour manipulations of photographs disseminated on social media platforms to address ethical and methodological debates dividing academic and amateur historians on the modification of historic photographs. I compare the notable lack of controversy around colourised photographs that show the violence of the Indonesian National Revolution to the heated debates kindled by manipulated images of victims of the Holocaust and the Khmer Rouge regime. ‘Genocide’ arguably remains a special category for determining whether conflict photographs can be modified. I show how Indonesian colourisers fail to interrogate the propaganda origins of the Dutch-made photographs they circulate on social media. For Indonesian social media users, however, deep context and detailed metadata for such photographs are less relevant for generating meaning than debates about how such photographs connect to the unfinished projects of decolonisation in the Netherlands and Indonesia.

The first frame: A camera-less photographic encounter with the foetus

This article examines two first-hand encounters with the foetus to reflect on the familial, photographic and political dimensions of 3D and 4D foetal portraits. It examines the photographic status of foetal portraits as intimates of the family album while acknowledging their public meaning in reproductive politics. The article aims to situate 3D and 4D foetal portraits within photographic history, theory and practice by examining how these camera-less images align with photographic vision.

Camera Geologica: An Elemental History of Photography by Siobhan Angus (review)

Camera Geologica: An Elemental History of Photography by Siobhan Angus (review)

DoeDat: Enhanced Roundtripping of Crowdsourced Specimen Annotations

The DoeDat platform was launched by Meise Botanic Garden in 2018 to capture label data from imaged herbarium specimens by inviting volunteer contributors (Groom et al. 2018). It has since facilitated data capture from specimens of other natural history collections (Helminger et al. 2020, Mitrache et al. 2023), as well as digitised content from various other disciplines, such as historical photographs, posters and postcards. Volunteers may simply transcribe handwritten and/or typed text, but often also interpret the sparse and scattered information on the image, including trying to georeference its original location. As of April 2024, almost 650.000 tasks have been completed, of which more than 470.000 were herbarium specimens from Meise. DoeDat supports domain standards, including Darwin Core, and follows most of the currently drafted MIDS (Minimum Information about a Digital Specimen) guidelines as to what data is captured for natural history specimens. However, images have to be pre-loaded into the server storage for each project and captured data gets exported as one or more CSV files per project. These data files then still need to be processed before they can be ingested into the local management system (Engledow et al. 2023). Often the data are also subjected to additional quality control before they get openly published. This can result in the pipeline from image to openly published annotations being quite time and labour-consuming. As the biodiversity infrastructure landscape moves more towards FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) open data, DoeDat will adapt accordingly. This includes digital objects that are easy to annotate. Furthermore, image servers following IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework) greatly standardise the access and portability of media content, drastically changing the way images are being dealt with. We envision upgrading the DoeDat platform to load images and any required metadata as IIIF manifests, greatly streamlining the process of adding new content and tracking provenance. The transcriptions should be accessible for external systems, loading the updated image manifests and publishing them as annotations such as nanopublications.

Geolocation of Old Photographs and Rephotography in the Field: Contribution to a New Understanding of the al-ʿŪla Oasis in the Early 20th Century a.d.

ABSTRACT Historical photographs are commonly available in landscape archaeology; however, they are rarely used systematically for the maximum benefit in terms of spatial and temporal information. In the framework of the al-ʿŪla Cultural Oasis Project (funded and steered by the French Agency for AlUla Development on behalf of the Royal Commission for AlUla), photographs taken at ground level by the Dominican Fathers Antonin Jaussen and Raphaël Savignac in the early 20th century a.d. were geolocated by identifying mountain peaks in the background and comparing distance ratios (on the photos) with angle ratios (on GIS). These locations were then visited in the field to re-take the photographs. This work demonstrates the value of recontextualized ground-level photographs to improve our knowledge of archaeological landscapes when cross-referenced with data from a systematic archaeological survey. We also propose a reproducible methodology for geolocating historical photographs in similar or other contexts.

Implementasi Framework Laravel pada Aplikasi Pemesanan Jasa Photography menggunakan Metode Rapid Aplication Development

The advancement of technology in the field of photography has become an increasingly growing trend over time. In the context of Indonesia, the history of photography began in 1840, in line with the discovery of photography by Juriaan Munich, a Dutch media officer. Photography has been a part of people's lifestyle for centuries, ranging from the use of simple digital cameras to sophisticated devices that require specialized skills. Lensa Photography, as a photography studio in Bengkalis Regency, also faces challenges in the booking process. Manual processes through telephone or direct visits often result in scheduling errors. To address this issue, this study has successfully developed a website-based Lensa Photography booking system using the Laravel framework and the Rapid Application Development (RAD) development method. This booking system has successfully met its objectives by providing the following features, More efficient schedule management, Improved scheduling accuracy, Time and cost savings, Increased customer satisfaction, This booking system has been adopted by Lensa Photography and has provided significant benefits for the company, including, More organized and organized booking schedules, Reduced scheduling errors, More efficient booking time and costs, Increased customer satisfaction.

Hidden in plain sight: the covering of patients’ eyes and a microethics of medical photography

This article uses the author’s experience of researching historical photographs of facial injury and surgical reconstruction to think through the ethics of writing about and publishing images of patients anonymised...

Geoprocessing of archival aerial photos and their scientific applications: A review

Abstract Poland as well as other countries keep extensive collections of 20th and 21st-century aerial photos, which are underexploited compared to such other archival materials as satellite imagery. Meanwhile, they offer significant research potential in various areas, including urban development, land use changes, and long-term environmental monitoring. Archival photographs are detailed, often obtained every five to ten years, and feature high resolution, from 20 cm to 1 m. Their overlap can facilitate creating precise digital models that illustrate topography and land cover, which are essential variables in many scientific contexts. However, rapidly transforming these photographs into geographically accurate measurements of the Earth’s surface poses challenges. This article explores the obstacles in automating the processing of historical photographs and presents the main scientific research directions associated with these images. Recent advancements in enhancing work˚ows, including the development of modern digital photogrammetry tools, algorithms, and machine learning techniques are also discussed. These developments are crucial for unlocking the full potential of aerial photographs, making them easier accessible and valuable for a broader range of scientific fields. These underutilized photographs are increasingly recognized as vital in various research domains due to technological advancements. Integrating new methods with these historical images offers unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery and historical understanding, bridging the past with the future through innovative research techniques.

‘Cameras and young people belong together’: Camera Comics (1944-46) as an imaginative, ideological and commercial space for addressing and depicting American child photographers

ABSTRACT In 1944, U. S. Camera Company, the force behind one of the largest circulation photography magazines, launched Camera Comics for children. At the heart of every ten-cent issue was Kid Click, a teenage “shutterbug” whose camera helped him overcome bullies at summer camp, to uncover Nazi spy rings, and to bring armed robbers to justice. The character provided a neat segue to the rotogravure illustrated and textual pages of Camera Comics that offered photographic guidance for children, including tips for building camera gadgets at home and winning school competitions. Photographs by “typical American boys” – real-life Kid Clicks – abutted camera advertisements aimed at the same. Camera Comics imagined and addressed US child photographers via a distinctive set of gendered and nationalistic narratives, offering an illuminating comic-themed case study in a much wider and longer story of how cultural expectations of cameras and children have been ideologically constructed to intersect. This article offers a close reading of the extant nine issues of the comic and a comparison with parallel issues of U. S. Camera magazine, along with other primary sources that aligned children with photography in the period. These are contextualised with secondary literature on comics, photographic history, and childhood studies. Ultimately, the article argues that Camera Comics offers a highly productive space for surveying cultural expectations made of children in mid-century USA, and especially the conflicting moral attributes applied to different media forms and tools directed at children as cultural consumers and producers.

Facial Recognition in Historical Photographs with Artificial Intelligence in Python

In this lesson, you’ll learn computer vision and machine learning principles for object recognition, and how to apply these principles using Python to recognize and classify smiling faces in historical photographs.

Deterioration-associated microbiome of a modern photographic artwork: the case of Skull and Crossbones by Robert Mapplethorpe

The preservation of cultural heritage, including ancient photographic materials, is of paramount importance in the field of conservation science. In this context, the microbial diversity of ‘Skull and Crossbones’, a 1983 photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe printed on silver gelatine, was assessed. We employed both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods to characterize microbial communities inhabiting this artwork. Vibrational Raman micro spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy were utilized to assess the chemical degradation condition and characterize the chemical components of the silver gelatin print. The combination of molecular sequencing methods (Sanger and HTS approach) and non-invasive vibrational spectroscopy yielded valuable insights into the microbial communities thriving on photographic material and the chemical degradation of the print. Isolated fungal strains were added to the Fungal Collection at the University of Naples Federico II, and their deteriorative potential was investigated by adding substrates, commonly used in canvas photographs to the culture media. These results establish a link between microbial communities colonizing ancient photographic materials, paper decomposition, and the enzymatic patterns of the retrieved microorganisms. This information is invaluable for understanding and addressing biodeterioration progression on valuable works of art, such as historical photographs, which remain understudied.

Encountering Mudi Yahaya’s Nina Fischer-Stephan’s Respectful Gaze in Lagos

ABSTRACT Mudi Yahaya’s film Nina Fischer-Stephan’s Respectful Gaze (2022) is a reconstruction of Nigerian history presented through a meta-representational forcefield of images. The film is a documentary work that explores the resurgent vitality of the German photographer’s archive from the early 1960s. In the Nigerian context, this film explores how forms of historical mediality are conditioned by a multiplicity of aesthetic and creative modes that strengthen the power of moving images to document historical memory. Drawing on social media archives such as the Nigerian Nostalgia Project, a Facebook account where Fischer-Stephan’s historical photographs circulate, I examine the ways in which the film engages the critic in reading a film derived from photographic texts that have been mediated in multiple ways.

Alligator gar as a centenarian species: extending lifespan estimates using bomb radiocarbon and laser ablation–accelerator mass spectrometry

Context The potential lifespan of alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is currently unknown. A previous study applied bomb radiocarbon (14C) dating to establish ages >60 years, but maximum age was limited by the rise of bomb-produced 14C in the 1950s. Aims An exceptionally large specimen (2.6 m, 148 kg) was captured in Mississippi and otolith growth zones revealed an age estimate of 95 years. This specimen provided an opportunity to apply new technology to validate the lifespan of alligator gar. Methods Developments in accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) led to technology that measures 14C continuously from carbonates (laser ablation-AMS), as opposed to single sample 14C analysis. Key results Use of laser ablation AMS on the 2.6-m alligator gar otolith, and two smaller fish aged >60 years, supported ages that were older than original estimates by 5–20 years. Conclusions Our study indicates that alligator gar age can be underestimated for the largest fish, maximum recorded length is 2.6 m based on a historical photograph, and lifespan is at least 75–95 years with support for an age of 100 years for the 2.6-m fish. Implications An increase in lifespan of this magnitude would affect our understanding of population dynamics and recovery efforts.

Uncertain Blackness: The Mysterious Case of Joseph Stadler

Abstract Historians have identified George Coleman Poage as the first African American Olympian. Poage won two bronze medals in the hurdles at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics. In that same year, the name of another potential Black Olympian, Joseph Stadler, appeared briefly in a few newspaper stories previewing the games. Stadler clearly competed in St. Louis, winning a silver medal and bronze medal in the now-archaic forms of standing jumps. Whether he should join Poage on the roster of pioneering African American Olympians, however, remains a mystery among Olympic researchers—as does his racial identity. Analyzing the historical record regarding these claims and employing new information from census data and other public records reveals that Stadler was most likely white. His “misidentification,” however, reveals more than just a trivial episode about an inaccurate reading of racial identity from limited sources. The long history of narratives about Joseph Stadler's identity reveals important patterns about the social construction of race, illuminates the complexities of more than a century of seeking to depict the Olympics as a fulcrum of racial progress in American culture, and showcases the dangers of attempting to read “race” from historic photographs.

Teaching Black Educational Philanthropy Through Photography, 1863–1920s

This article explores the use of photography as a strategy for teaching Black educational philanthropy. Ordinary consumer-philanthropists, white and Black, saw value in the production, sale, and circulation of photography for the support of African American schools in the former Confederate states. In reading these historic photographs, students bear witness to the curated photographic collection of liberated children, traveling choirs, and Historically Black College and University (HBCU) campus communities who left little-to-no written records. The materiality and content of the historic photographs enhances the teaching of Black educational philanthropy from the Civil War to the early Jim Crow era.

Digital heritage construction: Testing the heritage value of construction documentation and building processes through Virtual Reality

This research paper examines the heritage value of construction documentation and processes via Virtual Reality (VR), with a focus on the Sydney Opera House (SOH). It underscores the importance of comprehending and documenting transient construction techniques for heritage valuation. Utilising VR, the study offers an immersive portrayal of the SOH's construction, emphasising its innovative methods, craftsmanship, and environmental challenges. The paper draws from the Digital Heritage Construction project, showcased at the Heritage Exposition of the ICOMOS General Assembly 2023. This project featured two VR simulations, developed through analysing 200 original shop drawings, historical photographs, and site minutes and reports. The first simulation illustrates the formwork systems used for the SOH's iconic sails, while the second elucidates the assembly methods for the precast vaulted roofs, including the operation of the telescopic erection arch and the installation of concrete segments. The paper examines the novelty of this approach through a survey conducted at the Heritage Exposition. Analysis of the survey's result reveals VR's effectiveness in deepening the appreciation of architectural heritage's intangible qualities, providing new insights into the historical construction processes of the building and their cultural significance.

Image Colorization Using Deep Learning

mage colorization using deep learning is a fascinating field that aims to add color to black and white images automatically. This project explores the use of advanced neural networks, specifically convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to achieve this task efficiently and accurately. By leveraging large datasets of color images paired with their black and white counterparts, the CNN learns to predict plausible colorizations for grayscale input images. The project demonstrates the effectiveness of deep learning techniques in recreating realistic colors while preserving the details of the original images. Through experimentation and evaluation, we showcase the potential of this approach in various applications, including historical photo restoration, artistic expression, and enhancing visual content in multimedia. Overall, this project contributes to the advancement of computer vision and image processing technologies, offering a powerful tool for enriching visual content effortlessly. Keywords: Image Colorization, Deep Learning, Convolutional Neural Networks, Generative

The monument to V.I. Lenin on the Amur Cliff in Khabarovsk (a hypothesis of authorship)

The article is devoted to the history of one of the monuments to V.I. Lenin in Khabarovsk. Based on a study of the recently discovered archive of the forgotten decorative artist M.A. Genendlis and analysis of historical photographs of Lenin monuments, a hypothesis of the authorship of the monument to V.I. Lenin on the Amur Cliff is proposed. To our knowledge, this is the first publication on the biography and sculptural works of M.A. Genendlis made by him during his residence in the Far East. These materials make it possible to preserve the memory and visual representation of the monument, which stood for about half a century on one of the most important historical sites in the territory of Khabarovsk.

Random access memories or clichéd representations? Exploring historical photographs of the troubles on Instagram

ABSTRACT Social media provide unprecedented opportunities for the distribution of photographs capturing experiences of conflict. Instagram in particular renders conflict photography searchable, whilst also aggregating the memories of traumatised communities. This paper adds to the nascent literature in this area by exploring how the photosharing app is used to share photographs of the Northern Irish ‘Troubles’, a low-intensity conflict that resulted in 3,600 fatalities and left many more bereaved, injured and traumatised. Two decades on from the Belfast Agreement, Northern Ireland remains a deeply divided society in which competing narratives over the conflict remain deeply entrenched. This study explored photographic representation of the Troubles, with a specific focus on who was represented in these images and whether they were evoke personal memories of the conflict. A content and narrative analysis of 100 historical images tagged #thetroubles was conducted in order to explore these issues. Results indicate that images showing the ‘peculiarity’ of everyday life during the conflict, such as armed British soldiers standing in close quarters to children playing in the street, were the most prominent visual representations under this hashtag. The memories evoked by such historical photographs reinforce zero-sum narratives on conflict, rather than promote new interpretations that build support for peace in ‘post-conflict’ societies.

Crossing the Caucasus hunting for plants: the collection itinerary of the botanists Stéphen Sommier and Émile Levier in the summer of 1890

ABSTRACT Stéphen Sommier and Émile Levier were eminent botanists and plant collectors (but also ethno-anthropologists, geographers and photographers), best known for their scientific travels in Italy and abroad. This study accurately reconstructs the travel and collection itineraries of a trip through the Caucasus in 1890. The botanical importance of this journey is significant, with over 10,000 specimens collected, more than 1600 taxa identified, and over 250 newly described taxa based on the collected samples. The locations visited are placed in a time sequence on up-to-date georeferenced topographic maps. Furthermore, using dedicated heatmaps, we show the sites where the two explorers collected specimens that were later identified as taxa new to science. These maps will also be useful to botanists, historians, scholars and curators of natural history museums, who work with Caucasian flora and vegetation, ethno-anthropology, history of photography, and landscape.