Pictures do speak more than a thousand words. Photography has captured events of human life for over 200 years. The memorable photos and pictures in this section have managed, without text or a heading, to move, influence, and captivate the public. So many wisdom can be acquired and many lessons can be learned just with the help of one picture.
1960's: Ecstasy, psychedelia, and street parties
In 1967, the city of San Francisco became the host of a social phenomenon known as ”The Summer of Love”. Thousands of hippies converged on the streets of Baghdad by the Bay with their long hairstyles, colorful clothing and flower power wagons (SF Travel). At parks and other public spaces, people organized street parties and rock concerts; protesters marched while holding banners of peace and love (Culture Trip). It appears to be a funny place and time to be, but the parties and concerts were less about having fun and more about demanding change (Summer of Love).
The Summer of Love paved the way for future counterculture congregations, such as Woodstock in 1969. Colorful VW type 2 buses, ashram monasteries, blotter art, and the music of Hendrix and the Stones are symbols still associated with this social phenomenon. Looking at pictures is like actually being there, feeling the pulse of utopianism and rebellion that flooded the streets of San Francisco that year. Not only that, it helps you realize the importance of the 1960s youth counterculture in defining future youth movements and understanding the attitude of most teens today.
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PHOTO 1
1920's: Desperate dealers
The Great Depression remains the greatest economic crisis of US history (Britannica). Millions of Americans lost their jobs (Ohio History Central). Corporate profits decline 90% (Investopedia). The crisis was so severe that dealers and automakers were desperate. The picture to the right, dating from October 1929, depicts investor Walter Thornton attempting to sell his 1928 Chrysler Imperial 75 Roadster for $100 in New York City (Hagerty).
If the most influent businessman were willing to sell their most valuable possessions for such a low price, it’s a proof of how much the Great Depression impacted the American economy and public. This picture really is a mirror of the times of Black Tuesday and a representation of how a simple bad inversion can have severe outcomes.
PHOTO 2
1890's: Freezing to Death at Wounded Knee
The conflict between the US Army and Native Americans produced many brave leaders on the Native side. One of them was chief Si Tanka, also known as ”Spotted Elk” or ”Big Foot”, the chieftain of the people of the Cheyenne River Reservation (American Legends). The massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, was the final clash between the army and the Sioux people (History). Si Tanka led his troops to battle, but in the end they were all slaughtered and left to die. The picture to the right represents the corpse of the chief slowly decaying in the snow.
The Native Americans have always been in conflict, as they have been always perceived as a minority and their rights have been ignored. Thousands of innocent lives have been taken thanks to this conflict. It’s important to understand this conflict since it is still a great trouble today, and this photo does more than an article in a magazine or a history book to portray the misery and death the Native Americans have endured since the beginning of this conflict.
PHOTO 3
1940's: Blitz Barbarie
The Blitz was the name given to Germany’s air campaign against the United Kingdom during World War II (Imperial War Museums). Thousands of people were killed and a lot of buildings were destroyed (Historic UK). The campaign lasted for a few months, but in places such as Swansea, they lasted over two years (WalesOnline). The picture to the right corresponds to the attacks at Swansea.
Photography had an important role in capturing the barbarie that was World War II, especially referring to the aerial bombings, massive genocide, and death by famine. Even over 70 years of the end of the war, pictures like this still have the power to shock.
PHOTO 4
1950's: A Leader at Chicken Bone
Martin Luther King, Jr., led the civil rights movement in the US between 1957 and 1968 (Biography). He was an advocator of non-violent methods such as boycotts, hunger strikes, and sit-ins (Nobel Prize). MLK frequented Chicken Bone Beach, a segregated section of Atlantic City, NJ, to talk with the people and have pictures taken with them (The Press of Atlantic City).
These pictures, and other acts of civil disobedience by MLK, demonstrate that the African-American people saw a strong, charismatic leader in the Baptist priest. King was one of the few leaders who encouraged nonviolence and civil disobedience. The legacy of his work is still evident, as nonviolence is still regarded as one of the greatest weapons humankind can use.