This course is a short taster on the topic of the use of Images, Film, and their use in historical interpretation in the 20th century. It is primarily provided for those who have a general interest in history that draws on photojournalism as primary evidence, and films based on historical events.
Once you have completed this course we hope you will be equipped to:
Appreciate the significance of photographs as historical evidence in the twentieth century.
Understand the limitations of the medium, and how we can attribute meaning to these individual records of 'one moment in time' while taking into account the circumstances in which any particular image was taken.
Understand how individuals and institutions have looked to manipulate images to their own ends – through alteration and/or censorship – and what that meant to contemporary interpretation, as well as subsequent historical interpretation.
Put individual images into a wider context, and in particular with reference to history written, or portrayed, beyond academia: public history.
Do be aware that part of the contents of this course regard images and depiction of war. Real wars and real images.

Ministrado por

Dr Emmett Sullivan

Dilara Scholz

Transcrição

To round out the second topic, I've invited Andy and Izzy up from. They're presently studying for their independent essays under my supervision in their second year. So thanks for coming up today, guys. >> You're welcome. >> Now, we've looked at images through the 20th century, Vietnam, the Blitz, etc, etc. I want to round out briefly by discussing another set of images, some of them very contemporary, in terms of the rioting in Britain. Now I grew up through the 1981 riots, and Andy and Izzy will have at least some knowledge of the 2001 riots. But I just want to get people to consider how immediacy of federal reporting has changed over that 30 year period. But before we do that, just a photo from Underexposed, and ask Andy and Izzy to comment on. Now, this is from the 1990 poll tax riot. One of the things that started to erode the Conservative Party's confidence in Mrs. Thatcher. Now, I have to say, just to completely undermining my credibility for student radicalism. I was actually 20 minutes away from the major riots at the time, and slept the entire way through it. So I have no idea what's going on at the best of times. But this was a protest against the idea of putting a fixed rate tax on all house-holders regardless, of income. And this image from Underexposed, gives a very graphic image of two policemen in riot gear with shields, a barrier, and what appears to be a more mature, perhaps dressed smartly, middle class woman. And a gentleman here who's holding a cigarette, leather jacket, has half his hair shaved off etc., etc. It looks like a confrontational dialog. So guys, do you want to have a look at this ,and just tell me what this image says to you about something that was in some cases considered as a form of class warfare. This was 11 years of Mrs. Thatcher in power. It was perceived as being a regressive tax change if it went into place. >> Her face of disgust there. Is that the protest, or it's aimed towards the police? I can't quite- >> It's the shortcomings of photography, but I mean that is the essential focus of the photograph, is evidently the youth and the elderly. And it's stark in contrast, but it's very interesting in fact that the woman is actually If she was mouthing back at youth, as well. >> Yeah. And it looks like, or potentially portrayed as a form of class warfare. The reason I raise this, is that woman concerned actually wrote into the newspaper after it was published. She was actually offering support to the protester. She was actually saying I agree with your aims, but because of the way this is posed. And it's not a contrived photograph. But it is the way the photographer took a conversation between two people, where one is being held back by the police, and there appears to be a physical boundary, creates the impression that there is confrontation. The physical barrier gives that separation In between the two of them. Where actually it's almost a case of, yeah I think it's a bad idea for tax as well. So good luck to you for trying to protest against it. So this is another media report, 1990, but it's shaping our opinion. You look at it you quotes face value. And it tells us a different story to the one that actually was taking place. Now just in terms of the media coverage of the riots in 2011. The BBC were very prolific in putting together photo montages. Just very briefly, these are before and after photographs. From the Sony warehouse in Enfield. Clearly a fairly standard, and rather boring rectangular warehouse. And then it in flames. Similarly, they gave very dramatic images of the riot in progress. Again, use of the center barriers on each side. They talked about the aftermath, and the aftermath is reflecting, again, figures of authority. Here someone in a fireman's uniform looking at a burned out building. Now, for those during the course, I put up all these hotlinks through. And I'm going to ask them to go through this at their own time. But, I just want to draw one BBC website. This is from the 30th of December. Now, Isabella, I know you mentioned, in terms of your own search, the problems with the 30 year rule. Some of the events at the time of the riots are only now just becoming public knowledge to the national archive. Because they would have been sealed for 30 years, etc, etc. And one of the things I found interesting, was Thatcher considered arming the police during the 1981 riots. And one of the bylines outside here is Mrs. Thatcher and her home secretary agreed, sending in the army could not be contemplated. Now Iszzy, you've done some work on the troubles in Northern Ireland. This is 1981. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't we have armed police, and the Army on the streets of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland at the time. >> Yeah, and you can definitely see this in the case of Bloody Sunday. And that was overwhelming, as well. But last year at the apology of David Cameron, admitting that actually the first shot was fired by the British soldiers. Shows that, you know, this is- >> Okay, so, just in terms of the political context here. You have that statement, yet within this nation we had our place and we had soldiers in the streets. So, I find it interesting that this came out after the major riots. Now I just want you to just reflect on some of the images you would have, and without being patronizing, lived through. Two years ago. But can I just take you quickly through here, and ask for some of your comments about these photographs. And what they tell you about the events of the time. >> Actually that's quite violent. >> Yeah, too forceful, he shouldn't- >> Manhandling. >> Okay, so we have again authority against a youth. In this case, it looks like an Afro-Caribbean youth. Here police standards. >> Yeah it looks very ominous with the dogs ready. Yeah. [INAUDIBLE] >> Okay here again what looks like vandalism another burned out building. >> Destruction, and smoke, and juxtaposition is fine in there as well. If one thing I learned in school should not be allowed to use the word juxtaposition. [CROSSTALK] But you wouldn't have known of that. >> [INAUDIBLE] >> All right. But let me just quickly flip through these. Considering what you can recall from two years ago. Do these 1981 photographs look out of place from what you saw in the media. Two years ago. That's Lord Scarman. Okay. And I think that's just showing the riots after the event, yeah? Okay. What were your recollections of the riots? Andrew? >> Well. I remember catching up on the news, just constant updates on what's happening. And getting I suppose my biggest recollection was the fear that people felt when I was doing it. I mean I tried not let it effect me, but I know a lot of people said oh we're not going to come out to the pub tonight. Because of course the riots are happening. But that's probably my biggest recollection of it. >> Okay, and in terms of the media reporting, and the images at the time. Was there anything that stood out, or affected you to say I'm not going to go out at this point in time? >> Well I will admit the one story about the family who owned the shop, and it was burnt down while they were still inside it. >> Yeah, that's unfortunately Reeves, Stephanie Reeves is a former graduate with the department as well. So while it was her uncle, it was very distressing to find out, when it was posted on Facebook, that it had taken place. >> Oh yeah, just, all that. I don't suppose anything like that's ever happened in our generation. So for that to happen's a real eye-opener. It's the first time I've ever seen anything like that in England. You know, in our England, which we think, you know, is nice and safe. So I suppose that was the big eye opener. >> Okay, Izzie, you weren't actually in the country at the time this took place. >> Yeah, I guess perhaps the fact that when we returned, that there was an actuary of the events perhaps confirms the startling level of ignorance. But yeah, on seeing the photographs, sense of shock that, you're showing me the bias of Brixton. But that doesn't happen in our lifetime, and the fact that this is Britain. Just, yeah. I couldn't quite believe the images of, was it Clapham High Street? Just the burned out buildings. >> Around [INAUDIBLE], and one or two other places as well. So your feelings are that these very striking images, they are one off. They are not part of your common experience as being British. >> Yeah, I guess. >> But a year before the Olympics, what sort of impression that would have made. Considering that this was on the BBC website picked up by anybody in the world? Big sporting event, I mean, England itself, sport has always been known. There's always been this bit of controversy when you think about hooliganism, and things like that. So, that really done us no favors at all for the Olympics. >> Is he? >> Yeah, I don't know. Britain, I find, likes to convey the image that they are a peaceful nation, and it confirms to the rest of the world that they're not that actually that far apart from other countries that have this level of violence. >> Now without pushing to be ageist here you're young people. Did you find any affinity to the people who are rioting? >> No. >> Well I'm glad to learn that people I'm teaching don't think they're rioters. So we're going to round off this week's topic on that very positive note. But that just gives you just a very practical example, of how something very contemporary and within my students direct memory, has been influenced to a certain degree by what they've picked up in the media.