Photography

Photography Using a broad range of critical, satirical, and photographic texts, assess the cultural reception of photography in the mid nineteenth century. To answer this question fully, there must be a clear knowledge of the culture/society which birthed photography. The mid nineteenth century was a time of great technological advancement (most prominently industrial technologies) that bought with it significant cultural and social change. It is well known that photography was both embraced, but also regarded with some scepticism as to its overall purpose and usefulness in the early Victorian era. Julia F Munro (2009 pg.167) states It is now widely accepted that photography wasnt truly discovered until 1839, as it was then that Daguerre and Fox Talbot made their discoveries of early photographic processes, the daguerreotype and calotype respectively, and shared them with the world. Goldberg (1991) agrees that it was much earlier when people began to realise a need and take interest in using light as a way of taking pictures, preserving a moment accurately and mechanically. Goldberg (1991 pg.10) goes on to state that desire was abroad to catch nature in a net. Indeed as early as the late eighteenth century, devices such as the camera obscura (optical device used mainly to aid drawing) and camera lucida (a piece of technology which allowed artists the ability to precisely record contours of landscape) were rife, and captured the eye of professional and amateur artists alike. Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), sometimes referred to as the Grandfather of Photography, was one of many people searching for an answer to the void that existed before the conception of photography, and was most interested in its ability to record nature accurately, and pursued his development of the calotype photographic process mainly as a result of his poor ability as an artist. Talbot states is his manual The Pencil of Nature (1844) that his photography should be thought of as photogenic drawing. Talbots earliest photograph, Latticed Window although very poor quality and taken during his early experiments utilising an adapted the camera obscura, highlights his intentions as a keen scientist and mathematician to take mechanically accurate pictures. It is merely an accurate recording, a latticed window on a bright day, it serves very little artistic purpose, and is mainly a triumph of technical accuracy. Photography came to serve a much needed purpose, one that had been recognised much earlier that its first conception. Although Daguerre/Fox Talbots Victorian audience were generally a receptive and willing one, indeed ready to embrace a new and exciting technology, but they also engaged in much critical debate regarding the cultural, ethical and social impact regarding the emergence of photography. Wells (2004 p.12) states that hailed as a great technological invention, photography immediately became the subject of debates concerning its aesthetic status and social uses , Henisch (1994 pg.2) agrees stating intense controversies raged concerning its status and role. The debates related to art or technology is one still fought today, and ones which roots can obviously be found in the very early years of photography. The famous quote by Paul Delaroche (1797-1859) upon first seeing a daguerreotype photograph, from this day painting is dead, whilst an overt exaggeration, highlights a genuine fear felt by artists (especially portrait) during infantile years of photography. The daguerreotype Although accepted for its ability to record mechanically accurate images that are free of discrimination, photographys status as an art form was much less certain, and fiercely contested. Can photography be considered artistic? Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), a French Poet artist, was a well known and very vocal critic of early photography: If photography is allowed to deputize for art, it will not be long before it has supplanted or corrupted art altogether (Baudelaire 1859 pg.297) Baudelaire suggest photography simply should not and could not supplant more traditional artistic methods. Its ability as To answer this question fully, there must be a clear knowledge of the culture/society which birthed photography. The mid nineteenth century was a time of great technological advancement (most prominently industrial technologies) that bought with it significant cultural and social change. Whilst these advancements were the cause of change, Well (2004) states a society will also invest and put time into developing new technologies in order to help satisfy previously unseen social needs. Wells (2004 pg. 12) summarises, photography was a consequence, and not a cause of culture. It was not a cause of change, but an answer to an unforeseen social need brought about by the fast evolving, and ever changing modern metropolitan lifestyle. Bibliography WELLZ, L. 2004. Photography: A critical introduction. Oxford: Routledge. CLARKE, G. 1997. The Photograph. Oxford: Oxford University Press. BAUDELAIRE, C. 1859. The Salon of 1859. Unknown. BRIGGS, A. 1998. A Victorian Portrait. London: Cassell Publishers Limited. GOLDBERG, V. 1991. The Power of Photography: How photographs changed our lives. New York: Abbeville Publishing Group. GREEN-LEWIS, J. 1996. Framing the Victorians. New York: Cornell University Press. HEINZ, K. 1994. The Photographic Experience 1839-1914. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press. MARIEN, M. 1997. Photography and its Critics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. MUNRO, J. F. July 2009 The Optical Stranger: Photographic anxieties in British periodical literature of the 1840s and 1850s. Journal of early popular visual culture 7(2) pp167-183.

GENERAL MOTORS LEADS THE CHARGE :: essays research papers

GENERAL MOTORS LEADS THE CHARGE: The Launch of the GM Card In 1992 at a convention, Visa USA president and CEO Robert Heller belittled the arrival of non-band credit-card issuers. He joked that it wouldn’t be long before pizza parlors joined AT&T and General Motors in offering cards. Within a year he was punted and people were talking about McDonald’s having a credit card. The US Car Industry in the Early 90’s Flat demand and foreign competition made the early 90’s tough for the big three. In 1992 GM chalked up the largest annual loss in US corporate history, around $4.5 billion. Part of the solution to GM’s problem was to make better cars and make them more efficiently. That still left the issue of how cars were sold. End-of-the year rebates, cash-back, and dealer discounts were hard to control. Car buyers began to expect these incentives, so they waited and by waiting forced manufacturers to offer them earlier in the year. The GM Card In September 1992, GM teamed up with Household Bank, a major issuer of co-branded credit cards, to launch the GM Card under the MasterCard umbrella. The card allowed holders to apply 5% of their charges to the purchase or lease of a new GM car or truck. The credit was applied after the customer had negotiated his or her best deal on the vehicle. Cardholder were allowed to accumulate up to $500 a year in rebates, with a ceiling of $3500 over 7 years. GM spent $120 million on a marketing blitz. The GM Card rollout was the most successful ever in the credit-card business. After only twenty-eight days, there were one million accounts. In less than two months, there were over two million GM Card accounts, and card balances topped $500 million. The eight million-plus new accounts propelled Household Bank from 10th to 5th place among credit-card issuers. Annual charge volume on the GM Card was $5200, or two and a half times the national average. The Ford-Citibank Card In February 1993, Ford joined forces with Citibank.

The War to Save a Nation

The War to Save a Nation Should we interfere in countries that are in civil war or in need of help, or should we as a nation be more concerned about our own issues on the other hand? There are many different viewpoints on whether we should be in Afghanistan or Iraq; both sides of the argument have valid points supported by facts and strong beliefs. l, for one, strongly believe that there should be a continued presence in those countries. I believe it is morally wrong to turn one's back and pretend nothing is happening.The war in Afghanistan over the past 12 years has come at a great cost in means of oney and lives, although the benefits coming from this war are Justified in my eyes. In this paper I will go over how the lives being sacrificed have been for a cause that is improving the lives of Afghans, keeping our nation safe from terrorist attacks, why there is a need for Justice to be served, how the lives being lost are for a greater good, how the money being spent will lead to a better future for Afghanistan, how Democracy can be achieved, and how terrorism needs to be addressed as a regional issue.For there to be a desirable and meaningful achievement of the goals that we ave placed on this war there is need for a continued presence in Afghanistan. Washington provided Afghanistan with 51. 8 billion dollars between 2001 and 2010, about 56% of this money was spent on equipping, training Afghan forces while the other portion was spent on humanitarian, economic, governance and counter- narcotic programs. Wahabuddin) With the money provided by the U. S. the Afghan population has greatly increased in these areas over the past decade, which is what we as a nation have been striving for so that we may bring this war to an end. The ives being sacrificed in this war with rising casualties has come at a great cost, but is leading to the Afghan nation to become a more stable country.In the article â€Å"Justifying sacrifice: Barack Obama and the selling and ending of the war in Afghanistan† Trevor McCrisken goes on to say In order to ‘sell' the renewed effort to bring the Afghanistan campaign to ‘a successful conclusion', Obama has drawn heavily on the idea of ‘sacrifice' by emphasizing in his rhetorical defence of the commitment of further US troops that the protection of the United States and its nterests against further terrorist attacks compels America to bear the burden of sacrifice that continuing the war entails. McCrisken 1) With that said the author shows that the war Afghanistan and the sacrifices made are necessary for us to bear to ensure our safety. Barack Obama used his Inaugural address to call all Americans and clarify the need for sacrifice and the reminder of the sacrifices made in the history of our nation, and the need for our nation to bear those sacrifices again in order to create a better life for our nation and the Afghan public (McCrisken 2) Our afety as a nation is not the only at risk and to en sure future safety for the Afghan public sacrifices need to be made.With the ongoing war in Afghanistan the lives being lost on both sides are reaching heights that we as a nation never hoped for, but is needed to keep our country safe and to better the lives of Afghans and rebuild the country so that it may thrive. The number ot deaths ot Coalition torces and Atgnan civilians nas exceeded t justification of sacrifice, but when it is the terrorist groups that are responsible for the majority of civilian deaths. The Taliban need to answer for their crimes and be held accountable for their actions. Between 2007 and 2010 Taliban accounted for 5,570 civilian casualties in Afghanistan.Oust War Index) The number of deaths caused by Taliban need to be answered, and the continued presence of a Coalition force is what is needed to exact Justice on those who prey on the weak. The average life expectancy in Afghanistan in 2004 was 42, and the more devastating fact was that 25% of children did not make it to the age of five (Costs of War) The fact that so many re dying at too early of an age because the ongoing war is a tragedy, but in order to reclaim Afghanistan there needs to be Justice served for those responsible.The Taliban are accounting for countless deaths in Afghanistan, not only soldiers but also civilians and need to answer for their crimes against the Afghan nation. The benefits of an ongoing presence in Afghanistan and the sacrifices being made do not Justify the means. Over the years there have been many improvements to Afghans lives with that comes sacrifice, but to make a change sacrifices have to be ade.In 2001, 8% of Afghans had access to some form of health-care, but has now risen to more than 80% (International Security Assistance Force 27) With this improvement shows that the lives being sacrificed have greatly improved the country Afghanistan and that there is better care and hope for Afghan. Between 2001 and 2008 the number of children attending sc hool rose from 900,000 all the way up to 5 million, with a third of those students being girls and young women. Metzler 39) Over the past decade all the schools that have been built and the number of children ttending school these days show how much a impact we have made on the nation of Afghanistan in the means of an education which will improve the economy in Afghanistan. Even though there have been many lives lost due to this ongoing war in Afghanistan, the benefits for the population of Afghanistan have risen drastically from where the nation was before 2001.The money being spent in Afghanistan is being used in a way that is greatly improving the lives of citizens in the country of Afghanistan, and is providing the nation with a brighter future to grow from. In 2008 Washington spent $3 billion dollars in total assistance for health, education and agriculture (Metzler 40) This money that has been put into Afghanistan shows that our Nation is using our tax dollars in a way that we can be proud of, and how important it is to be less concerned about how much is being spent but the greatly positive effect we are having on a nation that needs help.In 2007 the Afghan National Army and ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) worked together and cleared the entire Ghazni Province of Taliban. On top of providing medical support to 2,300 citizens, uilt 10 new schools, gave out 260 tons of humanitarian aid and also one million dollars committed towards additional development. (Afghanistan 33) The money put into Afghanistan and which is being spent on this war, are benefiting the people of Afghanistan in such a way that it is greatly improving the lives of the civilians in country.Democracy can be achieved in Afghanistan to provide the nation stability by creating political competition and providing accountability to the Afghan citizens, which will in turn get the Atgnan nation to strive to improve their country and esire for a better future. â€Å"If the Natio nal Assembly is not seen to be achieving anything, citizens are likely to lose faith in democratization as a whole, allowing old powerbrokers to reassert themselves outside constitutional structures. (International Crisis Group 96) With this said it shows how the Afghan nation needs to strive and have a hand in the future that is being built around themselves, rather than sitting on the sidelines watching their country change before their eyes. The younger generations of Afghans are watching their country and government being built efore them, but do not have a part in what is happening and feel left out of the political decision process in their country. Sultanzoy 100) The author explains how the younger generation need to be able to have a hand in how their nation is being built, and the need for a Democracy so that their voices can be heard. The progress and push to create a Democratic society in Afghanistan is possible, and the work being accomplished is leading to free and fair elections which would lead to a better life for all Afghan citizens and generations to come. The war in Afghanistan needs to be addressed as a regional issue to improve the economic growth of the country of Afghanistan.From that point, there will be more opportunities for young Afghans to have a better future rather than having the few choices they have now. â€Å"Desperation and poverty are the tools used by evil forces to raise their terrorist cadres. But that environment will not change if political will is lacking, and if there is no action by the US and the governments of the region to get our economies to create Jobs that offer hope. † (Karzai 228) Hamid Karzai the President of Afghanistan shows in this quote that the need for Afghanistan needs to have a focus on the political and economic aspects in order to make a change and a better future.The Economy has continued to grow at rates between 12-14 percent per year which is the highest in South Asia. (Metzler 40) This is what the effects of the continued presence and aid of our government has shown for in Afghanistan, and how the regional issue is being addressed in a way that shows that there can be a bright future for Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan these days is being addressed n a more regional note rather than the way it was in the earlier parts of the war.Afghanistan's economy has been rising steadily due to the support coming from the U. S. and Coalition Forces. There are many different viewpoints on whether we should be in Afghanistan or Iraq; both sides of the argument have valid points supported by facts. l, for one, strongly believe that there should be a continued presence in these countries. I believe it is morally wrong to turn one's back and pretend nothing is happening. There is the possibility to provide a better future for Afghanistan.The lives being acrificed have been for a cause that is improving the lives of Afghans, keeping our nation safe from terrorist attacks, Justic e is needed to be served, the lives being lost are for a greater good, the money being spent will lead to a better future for Afghanistan, Democracy can be achieved and terrorism needs to be addressed as a regional issue. This ongoing war with all the rises and decline over the years has brought Afghanistan to the point where it is at now. The war is not over and needs to be continued so that we may improve this world that we live in, one country at a time.

Pre Colonial And Colonial Settlements Essay - 1679 Words

Pre-colonial and Colonial Settlements Pre-colonial settlement began in the United States when Paleo-Indians, now known as Native Americans, crossed the Bering Strait, an ice bridge that connected the Eastern and Western Hemisphere. This was a crossover from Russia into to United States in which large groups began to settle and form a life. Although this large groups would constantly move around, in which they are known as Nomads, primarily the United States was their new found home. They would endure activities such as fishing and hunting as basic survival skills. Around 1492, â€Å"European nations came to the Americas to increase their wealth and broaden their influence over world affairs. The Spanish were among the first Europeans to explore the New World.† (Colonial America, n.d.) This exploration led to more groups of people travelling to seek a better world. â€Å"By 1650, however, England had established a dominant presence on the Atlantic coast. The first colony was f ounded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Many of the people who settled in the New World came to escape religious persecution. The Pilgrims, founders of Plymouth, Massachusetts, arrived in 1620.† (Colonial America, n.d.) The claim of the New World was taken by British settlers, although Native Americans were the first to settle. Native Americans helped to flourish the lands, along with the new settlers. â€Å"By 1650, however, England had established a dominant presence on the Atlantic coast. The first colony wasShow MoreRelatedIntroduction Of Rail And Wallangarra1419 Words   |  6 Pagesstates to link major settlements with various resources. The idea of intercolonial transportation began circa 1855: a network of railways systems crossing the country and connecting major settlements. Railways slowly expanded as settlements developed further inland, with rail essential in bringing farm and mining produce to capital cities and ports. Wallangarra, a town situated on the New S outh Wales border, 200km south-west of Brisbane, was one of the first Queensland settlements to establish intercolonialRead MorePre Colonial India Is Characterized By Independent Self Sufficient Villages With Various Customs And Laws Essay1682 Words   |  7 Pages Ashley Gosnell Colonialism Paper December 22, 2016 Pre-colonial India is characterized by independent self sufficient villages with various customs and laws. This separation in cultural, religious and political structures blurred the lines of inclusive political and religious laws. The differences can be observed in the groupings created by the caste system paired with social hierarchy. With the advent of colonialism these institutions were challenged. The introduction of English ideals andRead MoreColonization of Bangladesh989 Words   |  4 PagesBangladesh finally liberated itself from the oppression and tyranny of West Pakistan and rose as a liberated nation on its own. Bangladesh in post-colonial times A theory created by Acemoglu, Robinson and Johnson states that â€Å"colonies that were set up as settlement colonies will experience greater levels of development after independence because settlement colonies have witnessed and experienced forms of government via their colonizers and are therefore structured to perform better than extractiveRead Morephilippine literature1582 Words   |  7 Pages Comprises oral lore identifiably pre-colonial in provenance and works that circulate within contemporary communities of tribal Filipinos, or  among lowland Filipinos that have maintained their links with the culture of their non-Islamic or non-Christian ancestors According to scholar William Henry Scott , â€Å"there is a discrepancy between what is actually known about Philippine prehistory and what has been written about it† many chroniclers possessed biases towards early Filipinos andthese were reflectedRead MoreHistorical Development of Risk Management1354 Words   |  6 Pagesabout it. Historical development of risk management in Kenya is categorised in three periods; 1. Pre colonial period-where strong African social insurance programs (A.S.I.P.) were used 2. Colonial period-the A.S.I.P. were weakening and British insurance programmes were introduced 3. Post colonial period-A.S.I.P. disintegrated and strong British insurance programmes took lead. PRE COLONIAL ERA In 13th century, before the inversion of the Arabs and the Portuguese on east African coast, theRead MoreChristopher Columbus And The American Revolution Essay1239 Words   |  5 Pagesis also crucial to understand what society was like at the time of Pre-America. There is much depth in this part of American history to be understood. Then came during the time of America’s early economy where they had the issue of taxation without representation, meaning that due to the fact the colonies were a tiny minority the British legislatures did not consider the colonies to recognize as represented. During this colonial era, colonist decided that they wanted to be separated from the BritishRead More18th Century Debate5557 Words   |  23 Pageschallenge the â€Å"Dark Age† view and the causal links it draws between political and economic decline. The debate regarding the second half of the 18th century revolved around whether colonial rule had roots in pre-colonial economy and society as Revisionists argue or if it marked a politico-economic break with pre- colonial India as historians who propose the ‘Dark Age view’ argue. DEBATE I- VIEW I- DARK AGE VIEW The earliest views on reasons for Mughal Decline and the â€Å"Dark age†Read MoreHygienic Modernity And China s Semicolonialism1052 Words   |  5 Pagesemphasis of modernization projects; it is the implication of hygienic modernity in weisheng that marks China’s deficiency, internalized by the intellectuals in the pre-war era and used against imperialism after the establishment of the PRC. In other words, weisheng itself embodies China’s complex modern history represented in the semi-colonial condition of Tianjin as a treaty port. This paper aims to discuss China’s semicoloniality through Rogaski’s concept of hygienic modernity, or weisheng and compareRead MoreColonial American Slavery Essay examples1458 Words   |  6 Pagesassistant professor of history at Rice University, who states, in The Southern Journal of History, that in addition to geographic and chronological diversity in the America’s, assessment of experiences of colonial slav es is extremely complex, â€Å"especially in the context of three European colonial powers, vigorous Indian groups, and free and enslaved blacks†(Goetz, 599). In studying the institution of slavery, careful investigation and analysis of the developing colonies, including their emerging economiesRead MoreThe Bombay Plan And Its Predecessor Attempts912 Words   |  4 Pages2.2 The Bombay Plan and its Predecessor Attempts The Bombay Plan had the most important share in the establishment of an independent economic policy in the Post-colonial Period. India earned its independence from Great Britain in 1947 and starting with this date, it mainly focused on restoration of the economy via centralization. For centralization process, an economic model that was inspired by Soviet Union called â€Å"Five Year Plan† was developed and was accepted by the Indian the Government in 1952