More vernacular photography

[Jim Chinn]

Web sites that post vernacular photography seems to be all the rage these days. Here is another site:

Dead Link Removed

Enjoy.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I love those photos. I notice there was a Hudson in one of those pictures. Thanks!

Jeff

 

[jp80874]

Google Walker Evans

John Powers

 

[shotgun1a]

I know what "vernacular" means in literature, what do people mean by "vernacular photography"?

 

[Trevor Crone]

I know what "vernacular" means in literature, what do people mean by "vernacular photography"?

I use it to mean; photography of the common place, the ordinary every day things around us.

 

[reellis67]

I just wish that people who create these sites provided more information about the content - who the photographer was, what date were they taken, etc. Most of these are what I call 'archive light' - basically contextless content...

- Randy

 

[Shaggysk8]

They remind me very much of found photography, just snaps of people but I also just like the ordinary there is something very comforting about it

 

[Jim Chinn]

In the context of Walker Evans vernacular refers to the subject matter. In the world of collecting, vernacular today refers more to "snaps" usually found at flea markets, estate sales etc with little or no attribution as to the photographer.

 

[Shaggysk8]

I probably am very wrong when I say this so shoot me down, I have always seen Walker Evens as documentary, a lot of his shoots feel like they are trying to portray a time and people, where vernacular just does portray a time and people without any thought from the photography or person taking the photograph.

Paul

 

[sionnac]

We've had a few spectacular vernacular albums at the rare bookshop where I work. One was a travel album of Shanghai in the 1930's, scenery, places, people, architecture, since sold. Also some lovely family albums - all by unidentified photographers - of life in Florida, California, the Bahamas, late 19th century. I think the mystery is part of the appeal with unidentified photographers/subjects.

 

[reellis67]

off topic, sorry!

We've had a few spectacular vernacular albums at the rare bookshop where I work. One was a travel album of Shanghai in the 1930's, scenery, places, people, architecture, since sold. Also some lovely family albums - all by unidentified photographers - of life in Florida, California, the Bahamas, late 19th century. I think the mystery is part of the appeal with unidentified photographers/subjects.

You are my hero! I've always wanted to work in a rare book shop, but it's just never worked out...

- Randy

 

[benjiboy]

I love those photos. I notice there was a Hudson in one of those pictures. Thanks!

Jeff

I think It's a Hudson Commodore sedan Jeff ,unfortunately I'm old enough to remember them. they were considered quite exotic here in England in those days, but I knew someone who had one way back in 1958.

 

[Jeremy]

http://texashistory.unt.edu

Part of my day job. I always push for the projects with metadata (information about the object) as they provide a context to make them much more useful for genealogical and academic research.

 

[erikg]

I probably am very wrong when I say this so shoot me down, I have always seen Walker Evens as documentary, a lot of his shoots feel like they are trying to portray a time and people, where vernacular just does portray a time and people without any thought from the photography or person taking the photograph.

Paul

You are correct in noting a key difference. Evans consciously created a style, he called it a documentary style, that was based upon his deep knowledge of vernacular photographs, especially picture postcards. There will always be a difference between the artist working consciously in a medium and a casual snapshooter, even if there is a lot of overlap.

 

[Galah]

I use it to mean; photography of the common place, the ordinary every day things around us.

I think there's already an accepted word in use for this kind of thing: it is "genre" photography/painting.

 

[erikg]

A genre can refer to anything, like the way films are classified, whereas vernacular refers to the common place, such as buildings or objects that are functional rather than monumental. There maybe a "master" of a genre, but there really can't be a master in the vernacular, unless you are an artist working in "the vernacular style" which is different. Vernacular is the older term, compared to genre. The vernacular mode in photography can certainly be considered a genre.

 

[Moopheus]

I just wish that people who create these sites provided more information about the content - who the photographer was, what date were they taken, etc. Most of these are what I call 'archive light' - basically contextless content...

- Randy

A lot of this stuff comes from estate sales, flea markets, etc., and these details are unknown. This is some part of the appeal of seeing them--mostly, they were personal/family photos, not intended to be seen outside the photographer's circle of friends and relative. The lack of context is precisely what adds to the surreal attraction. Some are brilliantly evocative; a strange glimpse into another person's life. The separation of time is a factor, too: there's no feeling of dislocation from a photo taken last week.

Anonymous has always been one of my favorite photographers.

 

[Trevor Crone]

There is an interesting book on the subject; "Discovering the Vernacular Landscape", by John Brinckerhoff Jackson and published by Yale University Press.

 

[AshenLight]

Here's another one. While not strictly vernacular, it is a record of a time and place...

http://www.roadsidepeek.com/googie/googarchit/index.htm

Ash

 

[Galah]

A genre can refer to anything, like the way films are classified, whereas vernacular refers to the common place, such as buildings or objects that are functional rather than monumental. There maybe a "master" of a genre, but there really can't be a master in the vernacular, unless you are an artist working in "the vernacular style" which is different. Vernacular is the older term, compared to genre. The vernacular mode in photography can certainly be considered a genre.

On the other hand:

Genre works
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

"...genre scenes or genre views, are pictorial representations in any of various media that represent scenes or events from everyday life, such as markets, domestic settings, interiors, parties, inn scenes, and street scenes. Such representations may be realistic, imagined, or romanticized by the artist. Some variations of the term genre works specify the medium or type of visual work, as in genre painting, genre prints, genre photographs, and so on."

I rest my case.

 

[Trevor Crone]

Galah and Erikg; you are both correct. My Little Oxford Dictionary says about genre: "kind or style of art etc.; portrayal of scenes from ordinary life" Another one of those wonderful words with duel meaning.

 

[erikg]

Galah and Erikg; you are both correct. My Little Oxford Dictionary says about genre: "kind or style of art etc.; portrayal of scenes from ordinary life" Another one of those wonderful words with duel meaning.

Thank you.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I am glad that this was settled before a flame war broke out in the threads of APUG.

:munch::munch:

Steve

 

[shotgun1a]

...Another one of those wonderful words with <b>duel</b> meaning.

On purpose?

 

[Trevor Crone]

On purpose?