Photo Analysis Project

Motivation: If you are researching a historical subject, old photographs can be clues to the past. You can read photographs like you can read other documents. Here is a set of questions you can ask about a photograph. By answering these questions in writing as you look at the photograph, you have created some notes from a primary source (a photograph) for your research. (Taken from Danzer, Gerald, A History Handbook for Student Research Projects, Illinois State Historical Society, 1991.)

Procedure: Look at the photograph and answer the questions below.

1. Predicting the action in the photograph
a. What do you think is happening in the picture?

2. Analyzing the photograph
a. Divide the photograph into several sections. List the objects (including clothing, background) found in each section. What is in the center of the photograph?
b. What details are the best clues to the meaning of the photograph? Why?

3. Research the photograph
a. What is the name of the photographer?
b. Does the photo have a title?
c. What are the names of the people in the photograph?
d. What is the REAL story of this photograph?
e. Did the photograph win an award?

4. Putting the photograph in context
a. Why do you think it was taken?
b. Who was the audience it was intended for?
c. What era, event, or theme does it illustrate?

Complete the sections 1 and 2 BEFORE you begin your research. Often a viewer will mistake the information in the photograph, so it is important to be able to compare what you thought was happening to what really took place. (Example – think how often you just look at the pictures in a magazine or newspaper. Could you ever get the wrong idea from a picture? The American public got a lot of wrong ideas from the photos from this era, mostly because the events were so difficult to understand in the first place.) Then complete your research on the photo and the real story behind it. Pay special attention to the difference between what seems to be happening and what really happened.

One person in your group must hand in an essay comparing what seems to be happening to the real story. Answer as many questions as possible from this sheet. One member must prepare a short powerpoint and present the findings to the class in a presentation, including the same information. Both entries must include a Works Cited page telling me where you got your information (cite ALL facts!) and where you found your photo.