Exploring photography's distinctive ability to represent time, the book delves into its elasticity and abstraction. It combines object-study with cultural and philosophical history, highlighting how photography can capture and sometimes defy the passage of time. Additionally, it addresses the medium's journey as objects across various time-and-space contexts, offering a comprehensive look at the interplay between photography and temporal experience.
The book examines the relationship between late-19th-century university composite class portraits and the emerging field of Eugenics, highlighting its origins at Harvard University. It delves into how these portraits reflect societal attitudes and the implications of Eugenics during that era, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of education, identity, and scientific thought in American history.
Exploring the role of failure in the history of photography, this edited collection considers how personal, technological, institutional and aesthetic failures have shaped our understanding of this medium.