Introduction: Ubiquity Has a History

Among the most widespread orthodoxies about photography concerns the intensity of its reach.¹ The notion is both simple and all-encompassing. With the rise of smartphones and social media, the feedback loop of taking and sharing photographs has reached an omnipresent fever pitch. With more photographs produced every two minutes than were produced in the entire 19th century—although this comparison is likely outdated—the institution of photography has begun to pervade every dimension of social and political life.² Whereas cameras and photos once enjoyed only partial distribution, now they enjoy a total distribution. In sum, or so this line of