While we are documenting more of our lives than ever before, the fleeting nature of digital files poses a risk to future historians. Unlike a 19th-century glass plate that can be held and viewed, a corrupted hard drive or an obsolete file format could erase decades of visual history in an instant.Photography also played a crucial role in the development of modern celebrity culture and the concept of the "public image." Before the camera, a leader’s power was often conveyed through symbols and grand architecture. In the photographic age, power became about relatability and charisma. The carefully curated photos of John F. Kennedy or the stoic portraits of Winston Churchill show how photography became a tool for political branding, allowing leaders to craft a specific narrative of their personality to win the hearts of the masses.
