The history and aesthetics of the classical film still

Dealing with the film still of classical Hollywood films, this article traces the historical development of this photographic genre through an investigation of statements made by 'stillmen' in trade journals such as International Photographer throughout the 1930s and 1940s. In addition, the article discusses the aesthetics of the film still, which implies a specific kind of dealing with light, focus, narrative, time, temporality and the instantaneous. Finally, it investigates how these elements were taken up by some prominent contemporary art photographers and video artists