kiji “Photographs Objects Histories”: The Material Turn in Image Studies
Photographs Objects Histories, edited by Elizabeth Edwards and Janice Hart, is the foundational text of the "material turn" in photography studies. This analysis breaks down its 4 core concepts: 1) The photograph as a material "object," not just an image; 2) The "object biography" method, which tracks a photo's life history through circulation and use; 3) The archive and museum as "meaning-making machines"; 4) The importance of sensory and bodily handling (touch, smell) in understanding photography as a relational medium.