Module manager: Dr Katherine Rawling
Email: k.d.b.rawling@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Photographs are everywhere: in our homes and work environments; in print, digital and social media, and in advertising; in the courts, in medical records, and in family albums; on our phones and in our wallets. Photography changed the world and how we see it. This module is a history of modern Britain through the first 100 years of photography, from the introduction of the photographic process in 1839 to the end of the Second World War. In this period, the camera was described by some as a democratising and progressive technology, while others saw it as crude, invasive, or even dangerous. Photography was a contested practice, labelled as both Art and Science. Moreover, in its first 100 years, photography changed from being an exclusive, elite practice to a common, widely accessible profession and amateur past time. So, what were the relative experiences of photographers, subjects, and viewers in this period? How did factors like gender, ethnicity, social class, regionality, and life cycle interact with photography? How did people produce, view, and use photography and photographs in different historical contexts and what can this tell us about how people lived, saw, and imagined themselves in modern Britain? in the ‘Photographic Age’? To investigate these questions, you will use a wide range of photographic archival material alongside historical and interdisciplinary scholarship to explore key themes in the social and cultural history of Britain and the history of photography. You’ll examine a range of issues and ideas from the impact of photography in fields as diverse as medicine, criminology, and journalism, to the role photographs played in everyday family life, to how the British saw themselves and others. In this module you will use innovative research methods and unusual primary sources to consider the impact of this revolutionary technology on British society and culture in the ‘Photographic Age’. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
The aim of this module is to equip you with a secure historical knowledge of the history of photography from its introduction in 1839 to the mid-twentieth century alongside an understanding of key themes and developments in the social and cultural history of modern Britain. Each seminar addresses a different theme and provides you with an opportunity to work closely with a wide variety of visual and textual primary sources and secondary literature to explore the various ways you can use historical photographs to ‘do’ history. Through the learning activities you will consider also the distinctive methodological and ethical issues arising from the use of photographs in historical research, whilst developing your critical thinking and communication skills.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Critically assess the major themes, trends, and theories in the history of photography and the consequences of them for British society and culture in the modern period.
2. Analyse the ways people in the past produced, viewed, and used photography and photographs in different historical contexts.
3. Evaluate the role, value, and ethics of using historical photographs in the practice of history.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Find and analyse historical visual and textual primary and secondary sources.
5. Apply fundamental standards and practices of historical study.
6. Effectively communicate complex historical arguments supported by appropriate evidence.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Supervision | 2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Seminar | 20 | 2 | 40 |
| Private study hours | 355.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 44.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 400 | ||
The learning activities in each seminar (e.g. discussion of set reading, close analysis of primary sources) will provide opportunities for students to practise and develop their critical analysis and interpretation skills which will feed into both summative assessments. Informal feedback from the tutor and peer group discussion within the seminar, as well as discussions with the tutor, will help students reflect on their progress and further develop their analytical skills.
Students will receive formative support and guidance for the essay by submitting an essay plan and attending a follow-up one-to-one meeting before the submission of their essay. They will then receive feedback on their essay after it is marked, with the opportunity for a further one-to-one meeting to discuss their feedback.
Students will receive formative support for the presentation by submitting a written presentation outline. This will then be discussed during a follow-up one-to-one meeting with the student.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay | 50 |
| Coursework | Presentation | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team