Alan Trachtenberg (1932–2020)
Author of The Incorporation of America: Culture and Society in the Gilded Age
About the Author
Alan Trachtenberg is the Neil Gray, Jr., Professor Emeritus of English and American Studies at Yale University
Image credit: Jonathan Weinberg
Works by Alan Trachtenberg
Associated Works
The Railway Journey: The Industrialization of Time and Space in the 19th Century (1977) — Foreword, some editions — 369 copies, 4 reviews
The American image: Photographs from the National Archives, 1860-1960 (1979) — Introduction, some editions — 156 copies, 1 review
Major Problems in the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era: Documents and Essays (1993) — Contributor — 82 copies
Museums in the Material World (Leicester Readers in Museum Studies) (2007) — Contributor — 14 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1932-03-22
- Date of death
- 2020-08-18
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of Minnesota (PhD | American Studies)
- Occupations
- professor (college)
historian - Short biography
- Alan Trachtenberg is Neil Gray, Jr. Professor Emeritus of English and American Studies at Yale University.
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Places of residence
- New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Place of death
- Hamden, Connecticut, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Connecticut, USA
Members
Reviews
Reviewed by Mr. Overeem (Language Arts)
In 1955, groundbreaking photojournalist Gene Smith was hired to create a photo essay documenting Pittsburgh's evolution from an environmental threat to a city of the future. Trouble was, Smith didn't quite see it the way his employers did, and a three-week project turned into an art statement of Joycean complexity, Herculean proportions, and Sisyphean patience. Smith "failed," but as the photographs herein will attest, he left behind fragments of show more stunning depth. This book made me want to buy a camera and learn to "see." show less
In 1955, groundbreaking photojournalist Gene Smith was hired to create a photo essay documenting Pittsburgh's evolution from an environmental threat to a city of the future. Trouble was, Smith didn't quite see it the way his employers did, and a three-week project turned into an art statement of Joycean complexity, Herculean proportions, and Sisyphean patience. Smith "failed," but as the photographs herein will attest, he left behind fragments of show more stunning depth. This book made me want to buy a camera and learn to "see." show less
The best essay in the collection is the title essay. Trachtenberg's discussion of the narrative the viewer crafts through the viewing of portraits is fascinating. I lost interest a few pages into the essay on "Photographs as Symbolic History." I think most of his points have already been covered in other books on photographic history. The book would be especially interesting to Hawthorne readers. I never considered House of Seven Gables from that perspective before.
An examination in the style of literary criticism of photography and literature as it searches for American culture, particularly American city culture. The literature and collections of photography examined were created between 1830 and 1950.
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 18
- Also by
- 7
- Members
- 1,159
- Popularity
- #22,169
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 5
- ISBNs
- 24
- Languages
- 1