LAUSR

Image classification expresses particular philosophies of the image. This article explores the enduring challenges and theoretical implications of image classification by tracing two genealogies of image organization as they developed from the early 20th century into the contemporary moment. This narrative is anchored by two mid-century figures: Bernard Karpel, Librarian at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Romana Javitz, Head of the Picture Collection at the New York Public Library. The author argues that Karpel and Javitz represent different discourses of image classification – the discourse of affinities and the discourse of the document, respectively – which echo in present-day discussions around machine vision and keywording.