Charles Bridge

Creator: Josef Koudelka 

Title: CZECHOSLOVAKIA. 1992. CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Prague. 1992. Charles Bridge.

Date: 1992

Collection: Magnum Photos

Description: Black and white photograph of the Charles Bridge, in Prague, with the statues and a dog on the bridge in silhouette.

Thinking about this assignment caused me to remember several stunning photographs of the 1968 invasion of Prague, with tanks rolling in, etc., that I encountered first in a European history class, and looked up again later before travelling to the city. The photographer, Josef Koudelka, is famous for those images, and has since then been capturing scenes in Europe. I wanted to pick something newer, and so I selected this photograph of his because it is a both a more modern (and peaceful) image of Prague, but also a side of the Charles Bridge, Prague’s most famous landmark, that I am not used to seeing. To me this is a somewhat quiet photograph, with so much in dark and silhouette, and it makes the scene seem more personable (and maybe even quaint?). I love the dog, which is the only form really sharp and at the forefront. It almost looks as if the dog is paying homage, or making his stop for some reason, while the few human travelers walk on in the distance.

The Great Indoors

Image Information
Creator	Martin Parr
Title	JAPAN. The Great Indoors. 1996. JAPAN. Miyazaki. The Artificial beach inside the Ocean Dome. 1996.
Date	1996
ARTstor Collection	Magnum Photos
ID Number	LON14581.jpg
Source	Image and original data provided by Magnum Photos  http://www.magnumphotos.com/
Rights	©Martin Parr / Magnum Photos  Contact information: Mark Lubell, Bureau Chief, Magnum Photos, 151 West 25th Street, New York, New York 10001-7204  Please note that if this image is under copyright, you may need to contact one or more copyright owners for any use that is not permitted under the ARTstor Terms and Conditions of Use or not otherwise permitted by law. While ARTstor tries to update contact information, it cannot guarantee that such information is always accurate. Determining whether those permissions are necessary, and obtaining such permissions, is your sole responsibility.
Download Size	1024,1024 This image captures the absurdity of artificial sun, sand, and surf. The drawn back perspective shows not only the popularity of this attraction, but also reinforces the fact that this is an indoor imitation. The painted horizon, sky, and clouds only cover a small portion of the enclosure. These folks seem satisfied with the shallow illusion and lay contently “sunning” themselves under the florescent light.

Parade on Lower Broadway

Feininger, Andreas. Parade on Lower Broadway. 1952. George Eastman House, Rochester, New York. ARTstor. Web. 30 January 2013.

I selected this image because I thought it was fun and exciting. The photograph gives off energy and portrays a scene that is very active, thanks to the confetti falling in front of the camera lens, the American flag waving in the upper corner, and the streets packed with people down below. I cannot tell what is being celebrated but it is easy to pick up on the enthusiasm of the crowd, even without being able to see their faces

Allan Sekula

Image Information
Creator	Sekula, Allan
Title	Dead Letter Office: Lobbyists son at the Republican National Convention, San Diego
Date	1997
Material	Ilfachrome diptych
Measurements	27 x 38 in
Description	Edition of 5
Subject	Photography--20th C. A.D Lobbyists Documentary Photography Republican National Convention Exploitation Portaits--Male Body art Political art Pools
ARTstor Collection	ARTstor Slide Gallery
Source	Data From: University of California, San Diego
Download Size	1024,1024 I did a search for 20th c. documentary photography and I found a lot of surprising things. I wanted to look at more "recent" documentary work. This image is by Allen Sekula  He is  an artist, writer and critic and his main subject is photography. This photo seems unconventional for how I am used to thinking about  documentary photography. Its a color photo, the subject matter is vague. There are not a lot of clues as to the location or the reason for being there. It illustrates how important the accompanying text can be. One thing that sets this image apart from a vacation snap shot is that the Lobbyist's son has a very confrontational stance. Body Art is listed in the subject matter but it looks like an average tatoo and it is not obvious what the tattoo displays. One of the subjects given to this photo is "exploitation" which is interesting. PS. on a closer inspection I see that the tattoo is the GOP Logo of the elephant!!

USSR 1965

Creator: Inge Morath
Title: USSR. Moscow. 1965. Red Square.
Date: 1965
Collection: Magnum Photos
Description: This is a photo of a queue of people waiting for entrance to Lenin's Mausoleum. In the background, you can see St. Basil's church and to the left of the line is the State Department Store (GUM).

Red Square is an iconic Russian image, so this particular photo immediately grabbed my attention. Full disclosure: I hold an undergraduate minor in Russian, so I might be a bit biased regarding the beauty and importance of this picture. I enjoy the composition of the photo itself: the curve of the long line, the billowy steam behind St. Basil's and the stark five-pointed red star that tops the Spasskaya Tower. It is difficult to settle upon the subject of the photo--it could be the line of people, or it could be the buildings of the Red Square. I like to think that the photographer, Inge Morath, was attempting to display the devotion of the Russian people toward their long-dead comrade, Lenin. I also appreciate how the photo displays the contrast between the splendor of old Russia (St. Basil's) and the USSR (Lenin's tomb and the red star). Having been to Red Square, I can tell you that the line to Lenin's Mausoleum is always this long. All in all, I think this is a perfect illustration of Soviet Russia.

Also, Blogger will not let me post from my Simmons email address, so I'm under my other gmail account. Therefore, jedimeg=Meg Campbell.

Weegee

Creator: Weegee, North American; American, Born: Poland, Zloczew, 1899, Died: US, NY, New York, 1968
Title: Tenement Penthouse
Date: ca. 1940
Material: gelatin silver print 
Source: George Eastman House. Rochester, New York.

I chose this photograph because I really like the composition; how it looks staged even though it is a candid shot. I was exploring some work of Weegee's because I was interested in the pictures he would take on the NYC subway by hiding his camera in his jacket. A bit about the background... these children are sleeping on a fire escape outside a tenement building because of the intense heat of summertime in the city.

France, WWII Liberation

 Creator: Robert Capa
     Title: FRANCE. W.W.II. Liberation of France by the Allied Troops
     Date: 1944
     Collection: Magnum
     Description: Taken during De Gaulle's speech, after the liberation of the city (Chartres), on August 23rd, 1944. In the previous month, the Allied forces had opened a second front in Normandy, in an attempt to liberate France.

I chose this photo because I have always been interested in WWII, most especially the role of France. I love the expression of the little boy, it's almost as if he doesn't care that he's getting his photo taken as he's picking his nose. 

WWII Bombings - England

     Creator: George Rodger
     Title: GB. WWII. Coventry. Bombings. November 14&15. 1940.
     Date: 1940
     Collection: Magnum Photos
     Description: On the night of November 14, 1940, German planes bombed five cathedral towns in        England. This photo was taken the morning after the raid, in the town of Coventry. In the photograph, a    postman attempts to deliver a letter to an address that is now a smoking ruin.

The dark humor of this photo appeals to me, to think that if only the postman had been just one day earlier in delivering his letter...I have been to the remnants of Coventry's famous cathedral, which is still a pile of rubble to this day, so I have a personal connection to this photo. In addition, I like that this photo speaks to so many different aspects of the war: people going about their daily lives, as well as the terrible destruction and chaos that the war brought to Europe.

Women's Self Defense - 1906

Creator:  Byron Company (New York, N.Y.)
Title:  Women's Self Defense 1906 Dr. Latson's Method.
Date:  1906
Description:  A woman demonstrating self defense on a male "attacker"; the woman uses her umbrella to ward off the attack.
Repository:  Museum of the City of New York

I love both the content and the theatric feel of this photograph. There is a certain humor in the heavily shadowed, white backdropped staging. Also, I just love the image of a woman beating off a young boy with an umbrella.

Welcome to the LIS 471 WEST Spring 2013 blog

Here is some information that you might find useful about the 2nd part of the first assignment.

•Register yourself for ARTstor if you haven’t done so already.

•Select one 20th century documentary photograph from the collections available thru ARTstor, save a copy to your computer and then post it on the class blog 4with a credit line and a brief comment about why you selected this image.

There are literally thousands of documentary photographs on ARTstor in addition to all the photographs documenting works of art - for this assignment I'm not so much interested in the works of art as I am in the other kinds of photographs. You might start by looking at the collections listing - follow the link on the welcome page after you sign in:

 Some of the collections that you might find appropriate for this assignment include the incredible Magnum collection, the George Eastman House collection, and the Museum of the City of New York collection. Sites documenting architecture and the environment would also be appropriate. The main point is to familiarize yourself with the resources so enjoy browsing through some great images.

Here's a photograph I found browsing the Museum of the City of New York's Byron photographs:

Photograph by Byron Company (New York, N.Y.) of the Criterion Theatre, 1514-16 Broadway, "Beggar on Horseback". ca. 1924. Museum of the City of New York (93.1.3.159)