Quantitative Analysis of Visual Data as Evidence

ttp://the-sra.org.uk/events/archive/ Quantitative analysis of visual data The study of consumption behaviour in the past can be challenging, as there is often a mismatch or a gap between textual, visual and material sources. This problem is particularly acute when dealing with consumption by and on behalf of proletarian children. There are few material remains, and surviving texts are mostly autobiographies written decades later, or accounts from outsiders. Historic images may be used uncritically (Linkman, 1993); conversely, they may be critiqued as constructions with little relationship to actions (Tagg, 1988). Qualitative analysis of individual images can illuminate cultural and intellectual constructs (Berger, 1972) but the selection of images for such analysis, and their relation to texts, can be problematic. This paper will present an innovative method of analysing data presented in images, which can then be compared with textual and numeric data from other sources, based on the research carried out for a PhD on boys’ clothing 1840-1900, a topic with little published literature (Rose, 2010). Over 2,000 photographs dated 1875-1900 of individuals, families, and school groups were analysed for evidence of the types and conditions of garments worn and the results were tabulated. Some of the photographs had information about the children’s ages, so that an age profile for the consumption of specific garments could be deduced. A further analysis was carried out on 1200 images from clothing retailers’ catalogues for the same date range, quantifying the types of garments offered for sale, and the typical age ranges and price ranges for each. In parallel with these analyses of consumer documents, a quantitative analysis of 600 garment designs registered by manufacturers revealed the relative importance of boys’ clothing within garment manufacturing. It also established the existence of seasonal fashion cycles, which had not been noted in the existing literature (Honeyman, 2000).  The quantitative analysis of separate sources provided a multi-dimensional picture of the making, selling and wearing of clothing. Comparing these sets of data gave evidence of consumer choices, such as garment types offered in retail catalogues in sizes up to 12 years old, but rarely worn in photographs by boys over 8. It was also possible to track the time lag between the introduction of new garment types by manufacturers, their appearance in retail catalogues and their wearing by boys in photographs. These analyses gave a firm evidential base for the discussion of clothing practices and their meanings. In some cases this might change the interpretation of documents: our understanding of patriotic imagery in an advertisement changes when we know that it was a topical reference rather than a constant feature (Rose, 2011; Schorman, 2003). Quantitative analysis was particularly important in opening up images seen as paradigms of Foucauldian surveillance (Tagg, 1988), to alternative interpretations. This method provides a model for the analysis of historic – and contemporary – visual data and for its evaluation as a source of information that can confirm, or challenge, textual sources. It is particularly useful for investigating the behaviour of subaltern individuals who have left few autonomous records.