Ever since the invention of the medium, photography has enjoyed a close and mutually stimulating relationship with architecture, underlined by the description of photography as building with light . This book explores the development of architectural photography and some of its key themes. Among these are the way architectural photography initially relied on pre-photographic modes of architectural rendering; the gradual emergence of a specific aesthetic of architectural photography and the growth of specialist firms documenting the nineteenth-century building boom; the influence of photography during this period on both architectural practice and history; the impact of the invention of half-tone reproduction; the influence of the New Photography' during the inter-war years and the significance of this period in establishing the camera as the undisputed mediator of architecture; the role of photography in the spread of Modernism; the impact of colour photography during the 1970s and 1980s; and today's digital revolution. Authoritatively written by a world-renowned expert, and with fascinating and stunning images drawn from collections throughout the world, this book will appeal to architects and photography enthusiasts everywhere.