In this virtual talk, Dr. Michelle Smiley discusses American daguerreotype portraiture and its uses both as a scientific instrument and as a means of picturing loved ones. She dives into the photographic portrait as a medium of democratic participation, particularly for African American, Asian, and women subjects. Explore how nineteenth-century photographic portrait studios shaped conceptions of “self” and “other” and the sometimes-unlikely places where we may uncover these visual histories in museums and archival collections.

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Please call 617-994-6678 for more information.