Post war years - On the road

'Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima'

This photograph taken at the battle of Iwo Jima, displays the end of modernity and end of the vision of utopia and a perfect world. The world became a dystopia as it was corrupted with war and mass destruction. The photograph depicts six men raising an american flag during the Second World War. The image was set up and shows teamwork and the american flag showing a form of independence. The photo was set up and constructed so Rosenthal could capture the perfect moment. 

'The Americans'

The Americans by Robert Frank shows a time of recovery and how america had to re-establish itself. Frank looked at the underbelly of society and took photographs of things most people did not see or chose to ignore. The photos show the divide between the wealthy and poor but the flags in the photographs keep the images and book together. Showing that even though there was a divide in society, people were still connected through this one strong symbol, the American flag.

'Pub Outing' Grace Robertson 1954

Photographers began to change the way they photograph by spending days out and follow a group of people round on a day out. There were also other changes, for example in 1953 because of the Queens coronation, there was an explosion in the amount of televisions bought. People saw this event as communal and it bought people together. This could have had an impact on the way photographers now worked by following groups of people round as they went on outings or days out.  

Marc Riboud

The American civil rights movement and sexual liberation in the 1960s when the pill was invented, saw a time of change and people wanting to move forward. It also saw the rise of the youth who became more politicised and demanded for change. There was the start of the hippy movement which was a reaction to the war and the intensity of the protests increased against the war.  

There were further developments in photography and colour photographs were now being made. William Eggleston shows examples of this is his work. For example this photo which also shows how society had changed since the American civil rights movement. There is an underlying tension in the photograph and the colours are vibrant.

The 1970s saw a new movement called post modernism which saw the end of linear history.