Photographs are literally and figuratively a snapshot of the past. Yet they are far from an objective record of historical truth, and the viewer must examine what he or she sees from every angle. Did the people in the photo know they were being captured on film? Is it a posed or a candid shot? Was it used to promote an issue publicly or to preserve a private moment? What events preceded and followed the taking of this picture? What does the background or setting reveal about the “thousand words” this picture may be able to convey about the past? How might a photograph be misleading? What information do photos give us and what do they conceal?

The role of women as both subjects and objects of photographs indicates a great deal about women’s societal role. In what types of photos have women appeared most often? How were pictures of women received and perceived? Under what circumstances did women control the lens through which they were seen? How did women photographers differ in their use of the medium to capture of the essence of their time?

	Teacher Notes contain: Overview of the primary source type Skill focus Directions for conducting the lesson Teacher Notes for Photographs
	Student Activity Sheet contains: Small group or individual study activities for the primary source type Application and follow-up activities Student Activity Sheet for Photographs
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Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, c. 1895

Kitchen Class for Immigrant Women, 1911

Pogrom, Russia, 1931

Dionne Quintuplet dolls, 1936

Anna Sokolow’s dance, Kaddish, 1945

Women protesting nuclear weapons testing, 1961

Photographs of work on behalf of Soviet Jews, c. 1970s