This course will introduce students to key texts from the 2000s onwards associated with what has been described as the "vernacular turn" in the history of photography. The focus of much of the class will be the category of 'family photography' with some discussion and comparison with other genres within the vernacular framework. Throughout, we will return to the question 'what is a vernacular photograph?' and will use case studies from the Royal Ontario Museum's South Asian and Family Camera photo collections, alongside visits to other Greater Toronto Area collections. The class will examine photo history from its beginnings in 1839 to the present day, including studio and amateur photography, as well as work by contemporary artists. It will allow students to examine the social, economic, and cultural practices that produce vernacular photography, while trying to understand its aesthetic and discursive dimensions.