The Making of Visual News: A History of Photography in the Press

2017 | Art, Photography & Fashion

Exploring the history of visual news, The Making of Visual News shows how photography has changed the way we read, report and sell the news. It investigates how photographs first became news images at the end of the nineteenth century and how magazines have put these to use since then, using a range of international examples from the USA, UK, France and Germany. Drawing on a wide selection of images, author Thierry Gervais (in collaboration with Gaelle Morel) analyses news photographs in the context of their original presentation in print. Highly illustrated, the book contains 85 full colour magazine layouts and spreads, enabling the reader to understand how photographs were and are used within print publications, including Life, Picture Post, the Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung and VU. It examines how photographs were employed to attract new readers throughout the twentieth century, arguing that photography was the main tool by which news editors sought to communicate the news and to sell their publication to a broader readership.

Looking beyond the role of photographer and journalist, this study highlights the contribution of picture editors and artistic directors, who have also played critical roles in the construction of visual news, while creating a unique style and design for their publication. Charting the changes in technology and reportage, as well as broader social and political histories, The Making of Visual News offers a new insight into the history of photojournalism, making this an essential resource for students and scholars of photojournalism and the history of photography, media and culture.

Thierry Gervais (Author)

Gaelle Morel (Author)