photogram

noun

pho·​to·​gram ˈfō-tə-ˌgram How to pronounce photogram (audio)
: a photographic image made by placing objects between light-sensitive paper and a light source

Examples of photogram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In 1921, while developing photographs for the visionary French fashion designer Paul Poiret, Man Ray accidentally made a photogram, in which objects are placed directly on photosensitive paper that is then exposed to light, creating a negative impression of the assemblage on the substrate. Ara H. Merjian, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026 For the exhibition, Poindexter collected native kelp/seaweed from the waters near Avalon and created life-size cyanotype photograms printed on flowing silk panels, then layered an underwater soundscape recorded on her dives. Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025 Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves. Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025 An exhibition hosted by A-Poc Able Issey Miyake, featuring a series of photograms by contemporary artist Eugene Kangawa, plus new textiles inspired by them, will take place during Art Basel Paris, running Oct. 24 to 26. Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2025 Painted on photograms and dialogue-free, Toccafondo’s latest film plays as a fairy tale about a voice more soft and seductive than any that had come before. Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025 With their photograms, Broomberg and Chanarin found a new, unexpected, but no less emotional way of doing so. Lucy McKeon, New York Times, 3 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of photogram was in 1859

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Cite this Entry

“Photogram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photogram. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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