Call for papers
Transbordeur. Photographie histoire société
Issue 11, “Live and Direct. Infrastructures and Imaginaries of Simultaneity”
Drawing by A. Dressel representing the telephotographic apparatus invented by Arthur Korn, 1904. Printed in A. Fürst, Das Weltreich der Technik, vol. 1, Berlin, 1923.
The theory of photography has largely been constructed on the concept of recording, or the fixing and preservation of a moment intended to be viewed at a later time, as a stabilised trace of the past, a “that-has-been.” However, its history has consistently been shaped by a seemingly opposite ideal—that of the immediate transmission of captured images. The medium has thus been in constant interaction with the accelerating transportation of goods and information, and with telecommunications.
Issue 11 of Transbordeur proposes to place photography within this long history of “live and direct” image communication, from optical telegraphy at the end of the eighteenth century to digital circuits, and from radar to television. In doing so, we aim to explore the complex relations between these two categories: recording and live transmission.
The full CFP can be downloaded here.
Proposals to be sent to j.dentler@icp.fr, olivier.lugon@unil.ch, and marie.sandoz@unil.ch before September 15th, 2025.
Editors
Jonathan Dentler (Institut catholique de Paris), Olivier Lugon (University of Lausanne), and Marie Sandoz (University of Lausanne).
Calendar
15 September 2025: Submission of abstracts
31 January 2026: First draft of articles
February 2026: Study day / Symposium
30 April 2026: Final article submission
Informations
Texts may be submitted in French, German, or English.
Abstracts should not exceed 600 words. They should be accompanied by an iconographic dossier (6-8 images), a brief bibliography, and a biographical note.
The publication will be preceded by a study day (Journée d’étude) in February 2026, which will bring together the future authors and allow for an exchange between the participants and the editorial committee. The process of combining a meeting with the preparation of a journal dossier requires a tight schedule, to which the authors agree to adhere when submitting their proposals.
By submitting an article to the journal, authors acknowledge that they have read and accept the Publishing Terms and Conditions.