Ch. 1. The Origins of Photography (to 1839) -- Before Photography -- The Invention of "Photographies" -- Responses to the Announcement of the Daguerreotype -- The Politics of Invention -- Philosophy and Practice: Nature's Automatic Writing -- Ch. 2. The Second Invention of Photography (1839-1854) -- The Second Invention -- Photography and the Sciences -- Recording Events with the Camera -- War and Photography -- Expeditionary and Travel Photography -- Portraiture and the Camera -- Photography and Fiction -- Philosophy and Practice: A Threat to Art? -- Ch. 3. The Expanding Domain (1854-1880) -- The Stereograph -- War and Photography -- Topographical Surveys and Photography -- Photography and Science -- Photography and the Social Sciences -- Art and Photography -- Women Behind the Camera -- Philosophy and Practice: "Superseded by Reality" -- Ch. 4. Photography in the Modern Age (1880-1918) -- The Challenge for Art Photography -- Pictorialism -- Photography and the Modern City -- Science and Photography -- Photography, Social Science, and Exploration -- War and Photography -- Philosophy and Practice: The Real Thing -- Ch. 5. A New Vision (1918-1945) -- Revolutionary Art: The Soviet Photograph -- Dada and After -- Surrealist Photography -- Experimental Photography and Advertising -- California Modern -- Social Science, Social Change, and the Camera -- Popular Science -- World War II -- Philosophy and Practice: The "Common Man" and the End of Media Utopia -- Ch. 6. Through the Lens of Culture (1945-1975) -- The Family of Man -- Cultural Relativism and Cultural Resistance -- The West and the Cold War -- Photography in Art -- Philosophy and Practice: Photography "Born Whole" -- Ch. 7. Convergences (1975-Present) -- The Predicaments of Social Concern -- Neutral Vision -- The Look of Politics -- The Postmodern Era -- Family Pictures -- Nature and the Body Politic -- Philosophy and Practice: The Passing of the Postmodern -- Epilogue: On Beauty, Science, and Nature.