Session 15. Visual Literacy Mini-Workshop

Abstract

Like letters, diaries, and other written records, photographs are forms of historical evidence that convey information about a subject, place, or time period. Yet, archival photographs often are treated as mere illustrations taken at face value rather than examined critically to uncover the narratives they tell. Through a combination of discussion, exercises, and lecture, this workshop will provide an introduction to the concept of visual literacy and engage participants with common strategies for reading and researching pictorial images. In addition, a portion of the workshop will be devoted to strategies for teaching visual literacy to students, researchers, and the general public.