Thomas Annan
Quick Summary
Thomas Annan was a British photographer who, in 1877, began a project in Edinburgh to document the need for new housing for the working poor. His work focused on the derelict buildings and sewerage systems rather than the inhabitants themselves. Eventually, these images were collected for their artistic merit rather than their social use. Annan's work is an example of social documentation, a genre of photography that emerged in the mid-19th century to inform and persuade by capturing aspects of society, often focusing on the less fortunate or changing social conditions.1
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