Transcript Iconic Photographs

Iconic Photographs
Understanding meaning through symbolism
and
symbols that traverse generations.
ALL students should first have note taking paper
READY before viewing this PowerPoint.
Using proper MLA formatting title your paper as
follows:
YOUR NAME
ACTIVITY 1.8b ____Period
TODAY’S DATE
Your FIRST Note: take a moment and write down what
ever you think when you hear the word ICON.
Consider: What is an ICON?
Write a definition for this word
According to Merriam Webster
(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icon) an
ICON is:
A noun \ˈī-ˌkän\
computers : a small picture on a computer
screen that represents a program or function
: a person who is very successful and admired
: a widely known symbol
: a usually pictorial representation
(ie: image)
*You should write this down….*
AS YOU VIEW THE NEXT
FEW IMAGES,
Discuss and Determine:
FOR WHAT REASON or
WHY
they may be ICONIC?
Timothy H. O’Sullivan
Battle of Gettysburg
This photograph has become synonymous with The
Battle of Gettysburg, which was the most bloody
battle of the American Civil War. Photographer
Timothy H. O’Sullivan documented and recorded the
battlefield, and this picture became a sensation. For
many, this was their first chance to see, first hand, the
true extent of the Civil War. However, it was not until
40 years after the battle that the pictures were mass
produced, as photo-engraving had not been
established. The picture shows dead confederate
soldiers on the battlefield, and has earned its place in
history as an iconic photograph.
Joe Rosenthal
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is an historic photograph
taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It
depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy
corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop
Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World
War II. It became the only photograph to win the
Pulitzer Prize for Photography in the same year as its
publication, and came to be regarded in the United
States as one of the most significant and
recognizable images of the war, and possibly the most
reproduced photograph of all time.
Moon Landing
Possibly the most talked-about, debated and controversial
picture in history, the picture of the moon landing has been
seen as a feat of human engineering at its best, and has
been speculated as a hoax by contractors of the event.
Those in doubt of the authenticity of the picture have come
up with many suggestions as to why and how it might have
been faked. However, none of the accusations have been
proved correct and the debate continues in some circles.
For many, though, it provides a sense of accomplishment
and acheivement by the human race to send a man to the
moon, which for years was considered an impossibility. The
American flag also installs national pride in the US as the
winners of the so-called ‘Space Race’, and their
establishment as the world’s one remaining super power.
Richard Drew – The Falling Man
“The Falling Man” is a photograph taken by
Richard Drew at 9:41:15 a.m., on September 11,
2001 of a man falling from the World Trade Center
during the September 11 attacks in New York
City. The man in the photograph remains
unknown. Many people find the image disturbing
because it is a horrific image of what people had
to resort to during the attacks. The picture is
deceptive, however, as it suggest that man was
falling straight down, however, this is just one of
many photographs of his fall. It is evident from
these other pictures that he tumbling out of
control.
Tank Man – Jeff Widener
Often considered the most iconic photograph in
history, ‘tank man’ or ‘the unknown rebel’ shows
an act of courage and defiance and earned the
anonymous man widespread fame. It took place
during the protests at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square
on June 5, 1989, and has subsequently become a
symbol of the end of the Cold War era, and one of
the most famous photographs of the 20th century.
Four people claim to have took photos of the
event, but the most reproduced image, and the
most famous was by Jeff Widener.
DISCUSS:
WHY ARE THE FOLLOWING
PICTURES ICONIC?
(Notes should reflect class Discussion)