Politics of Photography

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04 Iconographic Image Example

There is no particular narrative accompanying Burt Glinn's pictures of the welcoming parade held in 1951 to honor General Douglas MacArthur in New York. It is easy to learn online that the event was one of the major ticker tape parades of the time honoring a returning national hero. The selection of pictures showcased on the website of a prominent photo agency reproduces it in line with documentary portrayals of patriotic displays of the time. There is one picture, however, which breaks through the boundaries of this series. Who are these people? Why were they there and what did they aim to achieve? The questions may not arise in this particular order, but there is one thing so obvious that it immediately stands out: Where are the men?