Photograph as a Historical Source

The center organized an academic seminar entitled Photographas a Historical Source. Dr. EsamNassar, professor of history at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, gave the seminar. Dr. Jamal Mahmoud Hajar, professor of Modern and Contemporary History, and the scientific adviser at the center, commented on it.

The lecturer discussed the importance of photographsin writing the history of many political, economic, social, and cultural historical events and occurrences, explaining the importance of reading photographsprofoundly through internal elements and an external environment, through investigating the truth and motives of the photographerand through anticipating the possibility of thembeingforged. This all requires the researcher, who relies on photographsas a historical source, to subject them to external and internal criticism before he can usethem in his writings and researches. On his turn, Dr. Jamal Hajar said that "Rewaq of History and Heritage" has earlyrealized the importance of photographs as a historical source; and since its first issue, it has focused on publishing a number of meaningful historical images.

Author

Aly