The Use of Photography as Historical Evidence - Essay Example

These photographs enhance and elevate the understanding of historians and provide them in-depth information regarding the history and past civilizations and hence, they come up with enlightening facts regarding the people and societies from the past. The access to important photographs makes possible the sound interpretation and understanding of the historical events and civilizations illuminated by the historian's own knowledge. The historians utilize the photographs conveying a message, specific event, or any facts relevant to historical periods as evidence and proves of the events they point in the course of re-assembling the patches from a past life and explicating it to the world.

They also use these as evidence to connect or synchronize one historical event or fact to another so as to highlight the causes or significance of an event in the light of a photographed fact and reality.The photographs not only assist historians in finding out the social events and conditions of the historical era but also elaborate on the occupational and work-related situation being confronted by the people of past civilizations. The utilization and presentation of proof in the form of pictures or photographs go in the benefit of historians to develop readers' or viewers' interpretation of photographs in the favor of historical events being presented and projected.

These photographs, if utilized efficaciously and cautiously, really become a powerful source of enhancing readers' understanding of past events. Thus, these may act as very strong evidence for historians to use in their historical research and analysis.However, the most important concern as relevant to the use and rather exploitation of the historical photographs is regarding the authenticity and materiality of the photographed information. The historian utilizing the photographed fact or event entirely on the basis of a picture or image without looking and searching into the background information regarding the photographer or the one who remained behind the capture and availability of photographs.

Sekula (1983) also suggests that the photographs that the credibility of the photographer should be questioned before using a photograph as historical evidence. The photographs have no origin within them and thus have to be recognized solely upon their place of discovery. This makes the use of photograph quite uncertain for the fact that they can be deceiving and misguiding, if not based upon background research and information regarding their origin and existence.