Times Square 1945 Analysis

“Facing It” by the American black poet Yusef Komunyakaa of Shreveport is written with the use of visual images. Yusef Komunyakaa writes about one of his many trips to the Vietnam's Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC. This Memorial is a long polished slab of black reflectant granite with the names of all the US soldiers who lost their lives in Vietnam. Yusef says “my black face fades, hiding inside the black granite”. Here Yusef uses his reflection in the wall to bring the reader back to the war and how he feels standing at the wall now. He makes his feeling ambiguous and give the reader the opportuntity to decide what he is feeling through his use of viual images.

“How was/is the photograph used in the battle between two legacies [within the African American community]—self affirmation, and negation?” What does the director mean when he states that there is a “war of images in the American family album”? Through the Lens Darkly: In the historical documentary, “Through the Lens Darkly”, Thomas Allen Harris examines the impact of photography within the African American community. For Harris and many other African American photographers, photography was a tool of empowerment, enabling them to take photographs that accurately reflected themselves. Photographs, since their creation have always been caught between a battle of realities, propagating both positive and negative reflections of ourselves. While cameras are weapons of empowerment, they also are weapons of falsehood, no more seen than in the negative portrayal of African Americans throughout history.

In “Ways of Seeing”, John Berger, an English art critic, argues that images are important for the present-day by saying, “No other kind of relic or text from the past can offer such direct testimony about the world which surrounded other people at other times. In this respect images are more precise and richer literature” (10). John Berger allowed others to see the true meaning behind certain art pieces in “Ways of Seeing”. Images and art show what people experienced in the past allowing others to see for themselves rather than be told how an event occurred. There are two images that represent the above claim, Arnold Eagle and David Robbins’ photo of a little boy in New York City, and Dorothea Lange’s image of a migratory family from Texas; both were taken during the Great Depression.

Not the meaningless type of pictures (food, random quotes, etc) but actual photos with positive memories behind them. There are even photographs of Father who has left a mark on the family due to his disappearance. The author states “every Tet at the zoo, Father in his youth, Mother in her youth, baby pictures”. During difficult times, we have memories that we can look back on to remember the good old days. Pictures are said to be worth a 1,000 words.

As we know, the result of “Art is” is “Art is” which returned in an ephemeral form at the Studio Museum. All forty photographs are on display on the basement level of the galleries, which are supposedly reserved for pieces in their permanent collection. The room just outside, whether coincidentally or not, is filled with photos of students - reflecting personal memories. How the museum decides to play with this, is by missing them with old-timer photos of Harlem from the

In Maya Angelou's’ excerpt, she uses descriptive imagery to shed light on what it was like to be alive in the black community at the time of this special event. Using imagery can display the audible and visual settings of a story. This allows a better understanding for the audience. Moreover, making the audience feel as if they are a part of the story. Angelou writes,“The last inch of space was filled, yet people continued to wedge themselves along the walls of the Store. Uncle Willie had turned the radio up to its last notch so that youngsters on the porch wouldn't miss a word.”

I also see that an heirloom can change in importance and meaning if one knows the true pictures. This piece reveals more about the family as well as where they have come. In context, this lesson is a lot like Sankufa Bird. This reminds them to know their past and look to the future. All in all, this lesson can be interpreted the same way for the whole African American community to ultimately remember and understand their past, because if you don’t it may “haunt”

She attempts to bring this photo to life, giving it a true identity, through the world of science and through the stories her family shares. The Immortal

World War II was a very iconic and memorable time in American history. Because the war lasted for nearly seven years, the ending was an absolute celebration. The United Sates had come out on top and citizens all around the country rejoiced for weeks. Two people in particular, a sailor and a nurse, celebrated with a kiss. The kiss was photographed and is now known as “Sailor Kissing Nurse,” while also becoming one of the most highly influential pictures ever taken in American history. This photo not only marked the end of World War II (WWII), but it also gave Americans the sense of a new post-war beginning.

Depicted in the picture, “Bud Fields and his family”, the family of six produce a couple of emotions that people in today’s era can clearly feel. Walker Evan’s depiction of life and the people during the Depression of the 1930’s is empty , ashamed, and hopeful. An example of why this family feels empty is because in the photograph the family is shown as poor and torn. For instance the grandmother is the only one that is wearing shoes, but the shoes are falling apart and her hands look as if she has been working non-stop. The mother has the hands of a labor worker, which goes to show that she is helping provide for the family along with the grandmother and the father. Underneath the bed is kitten which is clearly malnourished, which is a perfect

Obviously the author has lived through the depression and was black because one could not write something so accurate in accordance to that time period and have one feel the deep emotional impact of her writings without experiencing it personally.  In the first sentence she writes “…all I seem to remember is dust—the brown, crumbly dust of late summer—arid, sterile dust that gets in to the eyes and makes them water, gets into the throat and between the toes of the bare brown feet.”  In this phrase the words give a harsh, cruel feeling of how the depression was, which could then explain how she remembers the depression and that it was a hard time for her.  Most likely it was a significantly hopeless moment in her life.  In the next paragraph she writes “When the memory of those marigolds flashes across my mind, a strange nostalgia comes with it and remains long after the picture has faded.”  Knowing the marigolds symbolize hope the word “nostalgia” gives a feeling of longing, since the denotative meaning is yearning.  When stating the marigolds give a “strange nostalgia” the author could be thinking how she, sometime in her life, longed to have hope.  She needed to have something to look forward to or just something to look at to give her hope.  Later, towards the end of the story she explains “…Innocence involves an unseeing acceptance of things at face value, an ignorance of the area below the surface.”  The words she uses give a sense of wisdom

So, we had a member of my group ‘‘Emily Zenisak’’ who showed a couple of her friends and recorded their reactions to the painting. The first volunteer was Kayla Rrymarz, a freshman at Grand Valley State University. Kayla initial reaction was ‘‘On first glance it looks like pieces from an old house and all the things on the bottom are supporting the house.’’ She followed up with ‘‘I think the meaning is what the 1950s?

This correlates with the importance of sharing these memories with each other. As mentioned above, it is seen through their gestures and facial expressions that the main couple enjoy being with each other, and they appreciate their time together. The people of the background also suggest they enjoy sharing their day with someone else. Some hold hands like the young couple in the middle, showing a sign of affection. Another pair places their arm on the other’s shoulder, indicating a relationship of some kind. One man actually seems to be helping his friend out as he stumble along the sandy path, implying that he cares if his friend gets hurt. Others race down the sand dunes together, suggesting a fun filled relationship. On the other hand, a man on the left of the photo is seen alone. He expresses a melancholy look on his face suggesting he is lonely. With his dark, heavy clothing, the man seems out of place and contrasts with the others of the photo. It is possible that he was captured in this shot to prove that friendship was important and almost essential at this time. Despite the gloomy feeling of the lonely man, it is the friendships that capture the untroubled nature of the 1950s and shows the fun memories were shared with ones they cared

It is like the old man is unaware of the photographer taking pictures of him. Just by the way his head is turned towards the window as if he does not care, and is giving up on life all together. All these inmates in that prison facility and the photographer had chosen the old man, probably because of the heartache, misery, loneliness portrayed in this image. It is sad to see someone going through something like that, the mistakes he made, and the decisions he goes through every

Abstract: This essay reflects on the relationship of photographs, history, and memory based on a found and mutilated photo album. Photographs provide opportunities for disrupting and restructuring history with their attraction to memory; they privilege the subjective, creative power of the personal explanation and provide an emotional and even ideological grounding for memory. Photographs as manifestations of memory assist in the process of understanding the present.