The earliest photography was devoted to its scientific and technical uses. It was a means to record data and people, and as an aide in drawing more realistic imagery. However, by the late 1890s and into the turn of the 20th Century, photographers became more interested in photography as an art in itself. This gave root to Pictorialism in both Europe and the United States. In 1902 Alfred Stieglitz formed the Photo-Secession. The primary goal of the Photo-Secession was to have photography recognized as a great art form. They pushed to have photography in museums and galleries. They also argued for having photographers on jury panels for competitions and collections. As opposed to Dadaism, the Photo-Secessionist movement was VERY concerned with form and the aesthetic rules of photography. There was a great deal of attention paid to light, form, angle and mood - effectively turning an image into a two-dimensional design.

Alvin Langdon Coburn, Broadway 1909

Alvin Langdon Coburn, Cadiz1908

Alvin Langdon Coburn, Smoke Stacks 1910

Alvin Langdon Coburn, Vortograph 1917

Clarence White, Columbia College 1910

Clarence White, Raindrops 1902

Clarence White, Ship Construction 1917

Edward Steichen, George Washington Bridge 1931

Edward Steichen, Heavy Roses 1914

Edward Steichen, Milk Bottles 1915

Edward Steichen, Time Space Continuum 1920

Edward Steichen, Wheelbarrow with Flower Pots 1920

Edward Steichen, Matches 1925

Alfred Stieglitz, Apples and Gable 1922

Alfred Stieglitz, Back Window 1915

Alfred Stieglitz, Equivalent 1926

Alfred Stieglitz, Hands and Thimble 1920