Early Graduates Photograph
The history of photography began in 1826 with the production of the first permanent photograph by Nicéphore Niépce.[1] Thirteen years later, photography arrived in the United States after Louis Jacques Daguerre’s invention of the daguerreotype.[2] In the beginning, photography was extremely expensive, and the daguerreotype was not well-suited for anything beyond portraiture. Daguerreotypes had to be produced in a closed and isolated environment such as a photography studio, where a photographer could control the lighting of the room. As a result, most of the photographs of the mid-19th century were portraits of wealthy nobles who could afford the price of a daguerreotype.
In 1856, a new method of producing tintypes decreased the price of photographs and allowed photos to be shipped through mail.[3] Now, families could send photographs of themselves to other family members living in another state. Furthermore, technological advancements in photography allowed the medium to become more mobile, expanding the subject areas for photographers. At this time, Civil War photography became immensely popular. In fact, the Civil War was the first armed conflict to be documented via photography.[4]
Civil War photography was unique in that it was a far cry from the romanticized images of portraiture and nature that most photographs captured. It was a shockingly realistic subject, and there was a high demand for negatives of Civil War battlefields among American households.[5] Eleven years after the end of the Civil War, this photo of the first graduating class was captured.
By this point, the mobility of photography was fully realized. As you can see, our graduating class is not cloistered in a stuffy studio but posing outdoors on a pile of rocks. They hold books, which hint at the nature of this photograph and the occupation of these subjects: they are students. To get your picture taken was an extremely formal and important event, and all of them are dressed in their best attire. One student wears his Confederate uniform with his saber leaning on the rocks to the side, likely the most formal dress he had at that time and also echoing the culture of military personnel donning their military regalia for formal pictures.
Graduation itself is an important moment in our lives as it signifies a completion of one’s years in academia. Much like a coming-of-age ceremony, graduation is both a beginning and an end for those involved. Where will these students go after they graduate, and what will they achieve? Capturing the moments before, during, and after graduation indicates how much pride and importance that we as a society place on the idea of graduating from something. In the same way, the University of Arkansas, as a budding academic institution, believed that it was such an important achievement for both students and faculty of the institution to observe the graduation process through photography. Not only are they the first graduating class of the university, but they are also graduating, which is a feat in itself. From the perspective of the University of Arkansas, photography is a great way to document the evolution of the university since its first graduating class, as it can capture moments that are both visually spectacular and culturally important.
Although photography has evolved since then, it remains an integral medium for commemoration. Whenever graduation nears, I often see graduates in their gowns and dressed to their best posing all around campus. During the ceremony, photographers are scattered around the venue to capture the moment, and parents with their phones or their digital cameras strive for the perfect shot of their son or daughter receiving their diploma. While the medium itself has become more accessible, its original intentions has never faded. Photography will always be the perfect way to depict important moments in our lives from weddings to birthdays to graduation ceremonies. Because life is fleeting and fast, photography can preserve life as it is in a snapshot.
Bibliography
[1] “History of Photography,” PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), accessed December 14, 2021, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/eastman-history-photography/.
[2]Martha A. Sandweiss, “Photography in Nineteenth-Century America,” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, August 3, 2012, http://ap.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/art-music-and-film/essays/photography-nineteenth-century-america.
[3] Sandweiss, “Photography in Nineteenth-Century America.”
[4] “Photography and the Civil War,” American Battlefield Trust, March 26, 2021, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/photography-and-civil-war.
[5] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/photography-and-civil-war