Although it is still a relatively young art form, photography is characterized by a changeability and richness of facets that is unparalleled. Initially, as the “pencil of nature,” it amazed its viewers because it was able to capture reality itself on glass and paper. But soon it shone through its possibilities for artistic mise en scène. Digital photography and its possibilities of manipulation multiply the expressive dimensions of the photographs to infinity. Ian Jeffrey takes us on a journey into the history of photography, where the great masters of this extraordinary medium pay their respects. As with a photograph itself, the most important stages in the development of this extraordinary medium are illuminated in order to finally arrive at a comprehensive picture of an inexhaustible wealth of creativity.

 

IAN JEFFREY (*1942) is a writer and art historian who has intensively studied the history of photography. He was a tutor and professor at Goldsmiths, University of London and is the recipient of the J. Dudley Johnston Award of the Royal Photographic Society, Bath.