L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L JJ4JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L There are numerous debates and arguments about the way history is recorded and retold. Inevitably, important elements get missed out and, in the case of photographic history, whole countries have been neglected. It can be a challenging and exciting part of any research project if new historical material is discovered, perhaps in an archive or in a personal interview previously unseen or unheard. Histories of photography are frequently divided by country or continent and, undoubtedly, the histories of North American and northern European photography tend to dominate the field. North America was fast to embrace and promote photography as an art form and northern Europe was not too far behind. Understanding histories Today, writers, editors and curators are expanding their research parameters. Through the growth of various diasporas, knowledge about photography and its histories is becoming a global subject. Histories of photography link photographers together and frequently propose ideas about how things are connected within a particular narrative. As a researcher, it is your job to first read, understand and then interrogate the histories presented to you. Try reading a few different books that examine photography from the same continent ­ this is particularly interesting as you will start to gain a sense of how the personality of the author has shaped their story. 20 Being informed: History