Jonathan Walker, ‘Show, Don’t Tell: Historical Argument through Images and Design’

Images have been respectable objects of critical study for a long time now, mainly in history of art, but increasingly in history too. But such images, treated as primary sources, are invariably introduced via written discussion, which accompanies and frames them. No-one has yet proposed the very obvious innovation of creating original images as a valid mode for historical investigation and argument. Similarly, design, which determines the precise relationship between words and images in any given presentation, is also ignored by most historians.
In this presentation, I’ll review some examples of how I have used original images and design to elaborate on and to communicate the results of historical research. Online versions of the various projects under discussion can be found at www.jonathanwalkervenice.com and www.jonathanwalkersblog.com.