Walter Benjamins essay 'A Short History of Photography' (1931) made bold statements about photographic pioneers such as David Octavius Hill and Nicphore Nipce, and the social and historical context of their work. This first selection of Benjamins writings on photography includes a new translation of this influential essay as well as a range of Benjamins other writings, both published and unpublished, some of which are translated into English for the first time here.