Introduced as a crucial tool for Egyptologists and Orientalists who needed to document their archaeological findings, the photograph was easier and faster to produce in intense Middle Eastern light—making the region one of the original sites for the practice of photography. This panel addresses how the Middle East played a crucial role in the development of photography both as a new technology and as a commercialized mass medium. Stephen Sheehi (author, The Arab Imago: A Social History of Portrait Photography, 1860-1910) and Joseph Boone (author, The Homoerotics of Orientalism) will discuss the Middle Eastern influences on photography in the context of Ali Behdad’s recently published Camera Orientalis: Reflections on Photography and the Middle East. Booksigning and hosted reception in the Amphitheatre precedes the program from 6-7 pm. Co-presented with UCLA Department of English and Humanities.

—

Parking available in UCLA Lot 4, 221 Westwood Plaza at Sunset Blvd for $3/hr

Conversation will take place in Lenart Auditorium, Fowler Museum Floor A