In retrospect: The construction and communication of a national visual memory

TL;DRAbstract

This dissertation investigates the institutional production of an American national visual memory through the commemorative display of historical photographs. Commemorative display communicates a sense of collective identity and memory through the use of artifacts of the past. It is one of the methods by which a society constructs and communicates a sense of nationalism. These issues were explored through the Depression era Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information photograph collection as it has been used in exhibits and texts over the last fifty years. Specific attention was given to the changing balance of images of extreme poverty and those of middle-class small town. Four approaches were utilized, each providing a different perspective of this phenomenon. A historical analysis of the cultural and economic context, and the initial production and use of the photographs during the period from 1935 to 1960 was made. An in-depth investigation was made, through exhibit reco

Chat with Paper

AI Agents for this Paper