Architecture in Nineteenth-Century Photographs

Nilsen (art history, Indiana U. South Bend) engages with the vast Janos Scholz Collection of 19th-century photographs of the Snite Museum of Art at the U. of Notre Dame to attempt a new contextualizing of the origins and possible original intended meanings of the photographs. Organizing her analysis into themes, such as urban or vernacular architecture, she describes the historical and political circumstances current when the photo was taken and the possible motives of the photographer, deliberately veering away from the aesthetic analysis of these often gorgeous photos that has heretofore prevailed. The volume is heavily illustrated with b&w plates. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Micheline Nilsen is Associate Professor of Art History at Indiana University South Bend, USA.