Photographs On A Refrigerator : A Display Of Visual Culture

This project will focus on family based vernacular photography and modes of display, with specific attention paid to the household refrigerator as a framing device. Photographs on refrigerators are in many North American homes. Since the invention of photography, the home has and continues to be an area of display for vernacular family photographs. These displays of family photographs are important to consider because they are an example of how people use photographs in their everyday lives, and provide a representation of a family, generation and culture. This investigation will show that people display similar photographs for similar reasons, and that photographs are a common form of record making and celebration for families. Finally, this project will address vernacular photographs within the context of institutional collections. What collecting biases do vernacular photographs confront, and how does the commonality of vernacular photographs raise new questions about institutional collection practices based on the rarified and the valuable cultural object?