Reddit reviews The History of Photography: From 1839 to the Present

MA in Photo History and BFA in Studio Photography here. If I was teaching beginning photography, these would be the books I would use to illustrate the history, theory, and techniques behind photography:

• The History of Photography by Beaumont Newhall This book is a bit outdated but it is the seminal text for the history of photography
  
• On Photography by Susan Sontag A series of essays about the meaning of photography
  
• [Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes] (http://www.amazon.com/Camera-Lucida-Reflections-Roland-Barthes/dp/0374532338/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374024103&sr=1-2) A book that illuminates the standard theory of studium and punctum
  
• Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual by Henry Horenstein
  
  The two theory texts (Sontag and Barthes) are collegiate level so I would introduce them lightly - maybe use a section out of both to structure a project around. If you want to PM me I can email you a syllabus I created for when I taught 6 week adult course at a community studio. This will give basic gist of how it can be structured and what you will need supply-wise. Also- if you want - I'd be happy to review any syllabus you make.

One way to learn about the important ones would be to read Beaumont Newhall's History of Photography. It's the canonical book on this topic.

As for photographers in the field of journalism, Erich Salomon would have to be considered the first photo-journalist (he also invented that term). But there are some others of that area: Lewis Hine who also happened to be the first teacher of Paul Strand, one of the most famous photographers of all times. Dorothea Lange had similar topics in her photography (documenting the poor conditions during the Great Recession).

One should also mention Jacob Riis. He was not predominantly a photographer but for his book How the Other Half Lives he went into the tenements of New York and documented the squalor and poor living conditions prevalent using one of the earliest forms of flash photography (magnesium powder, this was 1890 afterall). It became one of the most influential publications at the time kindling debates about new labor laws and working conditions of the poor in New York City.

Did you have to buy any books for your class? Maybe a book where this image is on the cover?

You might want to check out the photography of Rodchenko

https://www.amazon.com/History-Photography-1839-Present/dp/0870703811 This book is amazing to teach the history of photography. You can buy it used really cheap.

I highly suggest picking it up if you're going to be teaching the history