Interperting visual representations historicallly

A smart man once said: “a picture paints a thousand words.” Vision has always been one of the most vital tools which human beings possess for perception, and ultimately survival. In fact, when evaluating history, vision may be the best sense which we possess in gaining a better understanding of our past; because most historical items, until the past century, were only able to be preserved through methods, such as written and photographed documents, where vision was the only sense which was applicable in analyzing and interpreting the historical background. A true historian is able to gain many valuable insights into a time period by viewing a single image. By understanding significant historical events, one is able to recognize the time origin of a visual image by identifying the social trends, represented through common externalities.

Upon reflection, humanity seems to have developed an unspoken and universally accepted formula for evaluating, and understanding their contemporaries. The human concept, has inadvertently been reduced to generic external vantage points; yet they seem to fluctuate as society evolves. Based on the common values and practices of a soc

The revolution had for the first time created the notion of an independent woman. Women had traditionally been regarded as inferior to men physically and intellectually; both law and theology had ordered their subjection. Clearly change was needed. Feminist uprisings dated back to the French Revolution, yet at that point not much had been accomplished to indicate promise. Because of the major alterations in the human concept, society role for women was being expanded. No longer would a woman need a man to survive, for the increased efficiency created by the improved technology created new career opportunities for females. A very important and insightful book from this time period, Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie, accurately depicts the roots of these changes. With the increased travel and job opportunities created by the revolution, the United States began to experience an unprecedented wave of urbanization. In this novel, a small town girl leaves her home in search of work in the big city (Chicago), an unprecedented concept, via the newly built rails. It suggested that women, like men, could now be identified by their careers, and pursue personal fortunes, for Carrie had landed a job in the newly developed retail outlets. While some women did follow the model portrayed in the novel, the majority of women still maintained relatively traditional roles. The transformation that has occurred for women’s roles, has been gradual. Similarly many factors indicate that many stereotypical notions and generalizations pertaining to women still exist today; however based on recent history, all indications are that as society continues to progresses, so too will the roles of women within. But towards which values?

An individuals identity has generally been defined by specific character traits and unique experiences, yet societies influence on ones identity is undeniable. In each generation there are different values which its member’s inevitably adopt, and commonly identify with. As a result, human expression from a specific time period, whether it be art or advertising, usually reflects this common value. For instance, in Roman times, when the human body was revered as G-D like, the artwork produced, primarily depicted humans in the nude.

The turn of the century was a time of great change for humanity. Technology’s role in society continued to evolve; severely altering the consciousness and lifestyles which people had become accustomed to. The industrial revolution and it’s factory system had completely revolutionized the human concept of efficiency, inspiring an endless range of utopian predictions for the future, citing technology as humanities savior. The North American Review observed: “Our whole human existence is being transformed by electricity.” Indeed, the advances being made technologically were not isolated. In fact, many historians note this time period as the major catalyst for trends of Urbanization and Feminism. However, in the year 2002, whi

Some topics in this essay:
Representations Historically, Wheat Company, Jan Kurtz, Sister Carrie, Klein Billboard, Urbanization Feminism, French Revolution, American Review, human concept, eating disorders, visual representations, women portrayed, vision sense, common values, industrial revolution, changed drastically, shredded wheat, trust reliability,