By thinking about the Fenton photographs we are essentially thinking about some of the most vexing issues in photography – about posing, about the intentions of the photographer, about the nature of photographic evidence – about the relationship between photographs and reality.

The third, and final, part of Errol Morris's remarkable essay on Robert Fenton's two photographs is now out.

Like I said before, it is essential reading for us historians. I especially enjoyed the postscript:

"POSTSCRIPT: History is always incomplete. There is always the possibility that new historical evidence can be found. A safe crammed with documents, photographs in a hatbox, a packet of letters tied with a faded yellow-ribbon. I spoke with Dennis Purcell recently and asked, “Do you think these essays will put this issue – the issue of which came first – finally to rest.” Dennis replied, “No. I don’t think so. There could be some guy who reads your essays, writes in, and says: ‘You know, there aren’t just two photographs. I found another. There are actually three.’ ”"

Manan Ahmed - 10/24/2007

Ha. This entry more than the previous .... but, I kinda like the mise en scène feel of his blog posts.

Tim Lacy - 10/24/2007

Dear Manan,

I have more patience than most with long blog entries, having written a few myself, but these entries by Morris are over the top. Wow. And the things he's talking about, furthermore, require some visual and mental gymnastics. I don't object to those gymnastics in and of themselves, but in the context of a weblog they're annoying. Morris is proving single-handedly that the death of the book is nowhere imminent.

- TL