Post war years

Post war years

Joseph Rosenthal is an American photographer who took the iconic World War II photograph “Raising the flag on Iwo Jima.” Rosenthal saw these soldiers putting the flag up but he was late to take the photograph so he asked them again to put the flag up so the photograph is staged. It shows the struggle and the American flag shows a form of independence.

George Rodger was a British photojournalist noted for his work in Africa and for taking the first photographs of the death camps at Bergen-Belsen at the end of the Second World War. His photographs were highly influential in showing the reality of the death camps. He was appalled to realise that he was looking for photos that had graphically pleasing compositions and was traumatised by it so much that he could not work as a war correspondent again.

America had to re-establish itself over the war. Robert Frank’s “The American” showed the underbelly of society and looked at things that most people did not see or chose to ignore, it also revealed a profound sense of alienation, angst, and loneliness. The photos show the divide between the wealthy and poor. 

In 1960 a new photography was born; Fashion. Artists such as William Klein  (America) and David bailey (England). David bailey took photos of celebrities like Mick Jagger and William Klien took photos for vogue.  The sexual liberation of the 60’s when the pill was invented saw a time of change and people wanting to move forward.

Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech gave people in America hope but he sadly died 24 hours later.

South Vietnam police chief Nguyen Ngoc Loan shots a young man, whom he suspects to be a Viet Kong soldier