The fifth edition of this indispensable history of photography spans the history of the medium, from its early development to current practice, and providing a focused understanding of the cultural contexts in which photographers have lived and worked throughout, this remains an all-encompassing survey.

Mary Warner Marien discusses photography from around the world and through the lenses of art, science, travel, war, fashion, the mass media and individual photographers. Professional, amateur and art photographers are all represented, with "Portrait" boxes devoted to highlighting important individuals and "Focus" boxes charting particular cultural debates. Mary Warner Marien is also the author of 100 Ideas that Changed Photography and Photography Visionaries.

New additions to this ground-breaking global survey of photography includes 20 new images and sections on advances in technology and the influence of social media platforms. An essential text for anyone studying photography.

Mary Warner Marien is Professor Emerita in the Department of Fine Arts at Syracuse University, New York. She continues to lecture in the United States and Europe and in 2008 won an Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writer award for her work on the history and theory of documentary photography. She is the author of Photography Visionaries (Laurence King, 2015) and 100 Ideas that Changed Photography (Laurence King, 2012, pocket edition 2020), as well as numerous articles on photography.