Photography

School Library Journal

This history of photography that is compressed into seven short chapters begins with the 15th-century camera obscura and continues to the present day. Photographs, both black and white as well as color, augmented by diagrams, amply illustrate the text. Although the final chapter is devoted to the technical aspects of photography, the focus of the book centers around the art versus science controversy that raged during the 19th century between painters and photographers. Other emphases include photography for commercial purposes such as advertising, the documentary approach of photojournalism, and specialized applications such as photomicrography. Useful for brief reports in art, 4-H, and scouts, this title may also appeal to casual browsers because of its broad treatment of a popular subject and its attractive format. --Nancy E. Curran, formerly at Charles ton Junior High School , IL