Photography and the historical study. Possible interpretations.

The article examines the importance of photography and photographic analysis to the study of history. The author argues that photographs should be seen as valuable primary historical sources. Art historians' analysis of photographs mainly for their aesthetic qualities is explained, although the author argues that the importance of images to other historians lies outside of their artistic aspects. The use of a photograph collection located within the Romanian National Archives in the author's study of Romania's communist era is then detailed. It was concluded that these photographs were taken by the Romanian Securitate to aid in the capture Romanian counterrevolutionaries.