This course offers an introduction to the study of European and American photography from its invention in 1839 to the present. The goal of this course is to understand the development of photography as an element of material culture and as an art form. The course will explore how a photograph communicates its visual message and its function as a historical tool. Lectures will focus on photographic movements, specific photographers and how their work can be viewed as documents, cultural artifacts and as art. In addition, discussion will incorporate theory and criticism of photography.