Before-and-After Photography ─ Histories and Contexts

The 'before-and-after' trope in photography is a popular and intriguing device. Found in a wide range of contexts from the 19th century through to the present, these pairs of images stand as a representation of change: whether affirmatively, as in the results of makeovers, social reforms or medical interventions, or negatively, in the destruction of the environment or the impact of war or natural disasters.

For much of photography's history, before-and-after photographs have served a central but almost unspoken position in its language of evidence, documentation and persuasion. Packed with case studies that explore the conceptual implications of these images, the book is arranged around four key themes: medical restorations and enhancements; landscape and the built environment; manmade and natural disasters; and social 'improvements'. Each section presents both historical material and the work of practicing photographers who have deployed - and challenged - the conventions of the before-and-after pairing.

Examining major topics and current debates in the critique of photography, such as sexuality, race, environmental change and criminality, this book offers an accessible way in for students and scholars to explore the rich conceptual issues around photography's relationship with time and imagination.

Jordan Bear is Assistant Professor of Art History at the University of Toronto, Canada.

Kate Palmer Albers is Assistant Professor in the Art History Division at the University of Arizona, USA.