The Roving Reporter

 Umbo (Otto Umbehr), The Roving Reporter, photomontage, 1926

Dr. Juliana Kreinik, "An Introduction to Photography in the Early 20th Century," in Smarthistory, August 9, 2015, accessed April 1, 2021, https://smarthistory.org/an-introduction-to-photography-in-the-early-20th-century/.

The introduction of photography to the European and Euro American world allowed for a different and unique perception of art and artists. Later on when cameras became more accessible people of the middle class were also able to partake in photography as an art medium. The introduction of photography as an art medium changed the way that people viewed art as it was always involved in naturalism and there was a lot of the man verses nature aspect that came with art, which could be seen in many artworks like with the statue of David by Bernini where you can see that split second where the muscles tense and the concentration this person has as they are up against something great and mighty. With the introduction of photography to the common man, people were able to document moments in time and real things that were happening. But for a long time photography was kept separate from other artwork as it was still not seen in the same light and was not as recognized as other mediums. It wasn't until twenty years after the invention of the camera that photographs were finally put up side by side with other types of artwork. After the first world war, the medium finally picked up pace due to its convenience and its ability to capture moments happening within the war. We were now able to see live moments and see the emotion in people's faces as they fought for their lives and their country out on the battlefield. The picture shown above is known as the Roving Reporter which contains the image of an actual reporter, Egon Erwin Kisch and it was meant to show how reporters combined with modern technology are able to change and alter the perception of one's senses and the world around them. This was also able to demonstrate how some people still felt about the up and coming medium. This image makes you understand that people at the time were still scared and nervous for what was to come with the invention of this new device, the camera, but it also shows the creativity and the ability to manipulate one's perspective with photography.