Cara Finnegan
Professor, Communication
Since its introduction in the mid-19th century, photography has shaped public perception of U.S. presidents during their lifetimes and long after. U.S. presidents, among the most photographed people on earth, learned to use photography to mold how they were presented. Learn more about this window into U.S. presidents, and how photography shapes our perceptions; we will also talk about photography’s past and its present – as well as how U.S. presidents have had to adapt to new photographic technologies, including digital photography and social media.
Cara Finnegan's research examines the role of photography as a tool for public life. Photographs are powerful forms of communication: they visualize social issues, make visible those who are often invisible, and foster or limit bonds of identification. Her book-length projects are best described as rhetorical histories of photography, in that she examines the production, composition, circulation, and reception of photographs at specific moments in U.S. history. Her most recent book is Photographic Presidents:Making History from Daguerreotype to Digital (University of Illinois Press, 2021). Cara Finnegan is a scholar of rhetoric, public address, and the history of photography, and her research and teaching explore the role of photography as a tool for public life. She holds affiliated appointments in the Center for Writing Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, and Art History.