IMAGE: Ghostly Traces

The passage I decided to focus on was Susan Sontag’s In Plato’s Cave. Specifically, the passage I selected was on page 9 and reads, “Through photographs, each family constructs a portrait-chronicle of itself…Those ghostly traces, photographs, supply the token presence of the dispersed relatives. A family’s photograph album is generally about the extended family-and, often, is all that remains of it”(Sontag, 9). This quote helps explain the role that Sontag believes photography plays in documenting and preserving family history. Sontag touches on the idea that with the act of taking photographs, a family creates an everlasting and generational record of its existence. The family is able to treasure those moments of shared experiences and connections. The specific activities captured in the photographs are secondary; what truly matters is the act of capturing these moments.

However, Sontag goes on to explain that during the period when industrialization was transforming Europe and America, the traditional concept of the family was undergoing significant changes. The once expansive family units were giving way to smaller, nuclear families. People began to focus on immediate family rather than extended family. In this context, photography became a crucial tool for keeping familial bonds alive. This was especially important because those bonds were at risk of fading away. It served as a means to memorialize loved ones whose presence had become more scarce.
The reference to photographs as "ghostly traces" highlights the significance of extended family members who have a symbolic presence even when physically distant. This implies that a family’s photo album often represents not only the immediate nuclear family but also the broader extended family network. In some cases, it may be the only documentation of a family tree.

My poster shows a family in the camera screen that is crystal clear and perfect, but the actual subject is blurred, showing that images are not what they always appear to be. I also found the term “ghostly traces” to be somewhat off-putting so I knew I wanted to go with a horror movie.