American Photography: A Century of Images

S1 E1

American Photography: A Century of Images — Season 1, Episode 2: The Photographic Age, 1935-59

Documentary56 min1 season, 3 episodes8.0/10

Episode synopsis

Mass media devoted to distributing photographic images emerge. Magazines like Life and Look—dedicated to telling stories, primarily through photographs—grew rapidly in popularity. An Associated Press “wire photo” could be sent anywhere instantly, allowing millions of people to see the same pictures at the same time. Documentary photographers influenced Americans' view of the Depression and World War II. The consumer frenzy of the 1950s was driven by our desire to possess the images of abundance.

About American Photography: A Century of Images

Three-part series exploring the impact that photography has had on American life in the twentieth century. The story of pictures we have taken and where they have taken us.

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