Historically documentary photographers were just technicians and were not expected to have any ‘aesthetic or political agenda’ . Over time, documentary photographers and journalist began to use photographs to tell stories through manipulating and staging the scenes. Using creativity and photography techniques they soon began to see their photographs as a tool of social reform. No longer were the photographers passive observers , but they transformed into the role of communicators, storytellers, professionals who could ‘mold’ images for their audiences and tell the story how they wanted it to be told.
Photographs are a reproduction of one aspect of reality. The photographer establishes a relationship with the subject and makes decisions on what they want to say about the subject, and then using techniques and staging they convey their message from their own perspective.
In this module you will:
Analyze the photographs from two newspapers to gauge public opinion of school desegregation in different regions of the country. You will practice keeping an open mind as you examine different and conflicting perspectives of the same event :
- Examine the historical context of the image and the creator.
- Explore and infer how the society received the photograph at the time of publication by compare photographs across regions and publications.
The Activity
Explore photographs from two newspapers across the country and share how you think images shaped the political and social unrest in response to school integration in early 60’s? Are there any significant differences across geographic location, demographics of the newspaper readership ?
Pre-Reading- These readings will help you analyze the photographs
Analyzing Visual Images. Texas A & M University Writing Center
Zinkham, Helen. Reading and Researching Photographs.
Look at the first group of photographs. What do you think is happening in each image? What sequence of events does this represent?
Photographs from Northern Newspaper
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Photographs from Northern Newspaper
1.Two Girls Entering a Building. November 13, 1960
2. Crowd Stop Man from Entering <em. December 1, 1960
3.Crowd Watching a Car December 6, 1960
4. Girl walking down steps of a building December 19, 1960
Observe
Use the suggestions from the readings to analyze the photographs.
Describe what you see in the images. Note that all these images are from the same newspaper. Write down everything you see in the photographs.
Describe the details, the people, and what is happening in each photograph ?
What is the focus of each image?>
What do you think is happening and what evidence do you have?
Look at the perspective of the photograph. What other angle could the photographer have taken? How would this change your description?
Write a Title and Caption for each photograph
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These photographers were taken from the Evening Star. It was the ‘paper of record’ for the Capital and according to Roman & Littlefied was “one of the most financially successful newspapers in the Capital and among the top ten in the country until its decline in the 1970s.
Evening Star.(1874-1972) Chronicling America. Library of Congress.
Wysong, Lori. End of an Era: The Evening Star Fades in Washington. 2019
Examine the photographs again. How does this added information change your perception of the images?
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1.Two Unidentified Negro Girls. Evening Star. November 15, 1960
2. Angry Women Start Shoving a College Student <em. Evening Star. December 1, 1960
3.A group of Women Pickets Jeer Evening Star. December 6, 1960
4. At the end of a school day Evening Star December 19, 1960
Response
Compare you title and caption to those in the newspaper. How does it differ?Would your description change now that you can see the title/caption of the photographs? if so how?
What can you infer from the photographs?What is missing from the photographs? What questions do you have?
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Now take a look at these photographs from the Southern School News. A newspaper from Nashville, Tennessee. The newspaper was established by southern editors and educators following the U.S. Supreme Court opinion of May 17, 1954 declaring segregation in schools unconstitutional. Its purpose was to report the effects of the legislation from a factual non-partisan perspective.
Take a look at the images in situ. How do they change your perspective of the events? Do you think they help to give a ‘non-partisan’ perspective of the events?
Southern School News
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Southern School News
Negro Girls Rides to School with U.S. Marshal. Southern School News. December 1960. pg.1Police Halt Crowd Near School Board Office. Southern School News. December 1960. pg.8
Both Sides Crown Legislator During Special Debate. Southern School News. December 1960. pg.8
Minister and Daughter at Picket Line.Southern School News. January 1961. pg.10
New Orleans Woman Restrained by Police em>Southern School News. January 1961. pg.10
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