Anna L
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of Chicago
Expertise
History of Photography, Art History, Critical Theory
Bio
Hi, I'm Anna! Before I started as the Student Projects Coordinator at Polygence, I held various positions as a curator and educator. My specific area of expertise is photo history and criticism. I like to remind people that the medium of photography actually has many histories. Some of these--like those which foreground women and BIPOC photographers, and forms of popular photography--have only recently begun to gain attention. I also enjoy the history of photographic processes. Many processes that seem unusual to us now (daguerreotypes, cyanotypes, tintypes, salted paper prints, etc.) were once cutting-edge technologies! I've studied a wide range of subjects and as a result, favor interdisciplinary approaches to research. I also support pursuing experiences that broaden and deepen our frameworks for understanding. I firmly believe that learning is a lifelong endeavor.Project ideas
Photo-Based Fiction
Have you ever found a snapshot that really captured your imagination? Maybe you've seen loose photographs at an antique store, or discovered charming photos of your relatives from when they were younger. Together, we'll allow these photographs to open up researchable historical questions. You'll combine this research with your imagination and creative writing skills to craft fictional narratives around these photographs.
Historical Dinner Parties
Using online research tools (like the New York Public Library's archive of historical menus, for example), you'll develop a series of historically-accurate dinner parties for your friends and family. You'll research food and culinary histories to source recipes, plan menus, and write descriptions that help to set the scene. Specific details about class, climate, traditions, and trade routes (among other considerations) will help your guests imagine how it might've felt to share a meal together in specific parts of the world, at specific points in time.