When photography was born, fascination, obsession, and danger followed
The prevalence of photography in contemporary life has inspired a lot of griping about the supposedly unprecedented narcissism of our social-media-driven culture. We are continually encouraged to live in the moment instead of through our cameras, scolded for our pursuit of a flattering selfie or an aesthetic backdrop that will draw eyes — and engagement — to our photos and ourselves. But this obsession is nothing new. From nearly the first moment it became possible to capture an image from life