Walter Benjamin's "A Short History of Photography" analyzes the evolution of photography, contrasting its early, auratic phase—characterized by long exposure times and a resulting sense of stillness and mystery in portraits—with the later, industrialized era dominated by snapshots and commercial interests. He highlights key photographers like Hill and Atget, emphasizing the interplay between technology and artistic expression. Benjamin argues that early photography possessed a unique "aura" lost in subsequent mass production, and he explores how the relationship between photographer and technology shaped the art form's development. The text also discusses the social and political implications of photography, particularly its use in representing social classes. Finally, the provided text includes a magazine advertisement for Monogram, a film journal unrelated to Benjamin's essay.
Please note that the podcast covers key points from the source with synthetic voices, which may have glitches. It’s a reflective, not comprehensive, interpretation.
Benjamin, W. (1972). A short history of photography. Screen, 13(1), 5–26. https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/13.1.5
