The Trinity Index: Radioactive Contamination and Photographic Inscription (Image) - Softcover

Eva Castringius

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3837682218 ISBN 13: 9783837682212

Publisher: transcript, 2026

Synopsis

The first atomic explosion in history not only transformed global politics – it also left traces in photographic materials. Eva Castringius explores how radiation from the 1945 Trinity test became inscribed in photosensitive materials, producing images that register the event beyond what could be seen. Bringing together photographic theory, media history, and new materialist philosophy, she shows how nuclear processes interacted with photographic materials and how historical events persist in material traces. Her photographic series »Within Active Territory«, created on the grounds of the Trinity test site, opens the book and connects the historical event to the site’s present physical condition.

About this title

About the Author

Eva Castringius works at the intersection of photographic practice, media theory, and the history of science. She is a research associate for the Caspar-David-Friedrich-Institut at Universität Greifswald, where she works in the field of New Media. Her research focuses on the epistemic conditions of photographic images, particularly scientific imaging and the role of photographic materials in knowledge production. She leads a DFG-funded research project on scientific photography.

Edition details

• Publisher: transcript
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3837682218
• ISBN 13: 9783837682212
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 200