History of Photographic Technology as Method of Depicting the Environment: A Study of Anthropological Methodology in the Early 20th Century through Malinowski's Trobriand Expedition

Seminar paper from the year 2022 in the subject Communications - Movies and Television, grade: 1,0, Tallinn University (Humanities), course: History of Environment and Technology: Fin de Siecle, language: English, abstract: This work provides an analytical approach towards the field of history and environment. It seeks to analyze the history of photographic technology as a means of depicting the environment in early-antropological expeditions taking place in the time period of fin de siècle in the late 19th century. In order to study this anthroplogical method of research, Malinowski's Trobriand expedition serves as the centerpiece of research of historical narrative and technological development. The introduction of photography had certain consequences for the established method of documentation and visual representation on anthropological and ethnographical expeditions: painting. But was the introduction of photography really the death of painting? Bronislaw Malinowski's Trobriand expedition serves as the example to answer all those questions, because of its unique characteristics and circumstances. Malinowski's friend and famous polish painter (and later photographer) Ignacy Witkiewicz joins the expedition on invitation by Malinowski. The resulting paintings of Witkacy (ignacy Witkiewicz) "pejsaz australijski" have inspired this work to examine the changing work and shifting academic standards of anthropological expedition and ethnographic research. Following the entanglements of methodological research and questions of academic integrity and neutrality of anthropological research, this work aims to depict a complicated, yet important topic of the historical ramifications between environment and technology that is a constant aspect of how we live as humans. Sometimes with, and sometimes against our environment, but it has and will always play a part in our lives.