Are photocopying and photography direct or indirect historical materials?

Photocopying refers to copying (such as pictures or printed matter) by photography; Photography refers to the original photos. Photos are original historical materials (first-hand historical materials), and copies are indirect historical materials (second-hand historical materials).

Historical materials refer to things that can be used as a basis for studying or discussing history. Generally speaking, historical materials are divided into primary materials and secondary materials. The former refers to historical materials that are close to or directly produced when history occurs, and can be directly used as historical basis, while the latter refers to the research and interpretation made by future generations using first-hand historical materials. Such as unearthed cultural relics and cultural relics excavation process logs.

However, the boundary between the two is often not clear. For example, it is hard to say that archaeological logs are not first-hand historical materials, especially when the cultural relics themselves have disappeared.

Classification of historical materials:

In the 1980s, Rong Mengyuan, a famous historian in China, divided historical materials into four categories, which is generally considered to be a more comprehensive and reasonable traditional classification of historical materials.

The first category is books and newspapers, including historical records, historical works, document compilation and group members outside the history department.

The second category is documents, including government documents, group documents and private documents.

The third category is physical objects, including production tools, means of subsistence and relics of historical events.

The fourth category is word of mouth, including memoirs, investigation records, mass legends and literary works.