and Objectivity in Early Photography

Focus: Power, Agency, and Objectivity in Early Photography

Focus: Power, Agency, and Objectivity in Early Photography

British photographer Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–1879) once asked: “what is focus, and who has the right to say what focus is the legitimate focus?” Cameron’s question lies at the heart of this exhibition, which traces the early history of photography while probing how myths surrounding the perceived objectivity of this new medium conceal the power dynamics inherent in who photographs,…