Surveys of photography usually provide little more than a history of the technical developments of the medium. Here is a concise critical history which explains by what criteria we can judge one photograph to be better than another, what is special about the photographic recording of images, what is, in fact the essence of photography in itself and in relation to the other visual arts. This brilliant study provides a unique guide to the critical issues through the example of the greatest photographers in the world, from Fox Talbot, the father of photography, to the masters of today. Includes a detailed bibliography and chronology.