Positive Pleasures explores the humorous commentary about photography that emerged in the medium's first seventy-five years, providing a panorama of photographic comedy in its many aspects, both pictorial and literary. The Henisches present a wide range of examples found in cartoons, literature, and such facets of popular culture as music, fashion, and advertising. They also discuss examples of photo-humor in the political arena.

Richly illustrated with more than 250 cartoons and photographs from international sources, the book takes readers behind the technical and commercial scenes of a new medium.

It covers the period from photography's beginnings to the years following World War I when the popularization of miniature cameras redefined the world of photography - showing how, as the outward appearance of photographic paraphernalia changed, each new generation of cartoonists was provided with new challenges for their satirical skills. It also depicts photographers as humorists in their own right through examples of their amusing interpretations of reality.