The Power of the Image: Flag Raising Over Iwo Jima (1945)

Date and Time
September 3, 2014
Event Details

 

Flag Raising Over Iwo Jima (1945); Joe Rosenthal, Associated Press

Dr. Emmett Sullivan from Royal Holloway, University of London speaks about arguably the most famous American image of World War II, Joe Rosenthal's Flag Raising Over Iwo Jima from 1945.  The lecture looks to provide a basic understanding of the events in and around the Battle of Iwo Jima, providing a view on the taking of the photograph itself, and its significance in American history and culture.

Dr. Sullivan will also offer an appreciation of the relationship between James Bradley’s memoir on his father’s life (one of the flag-raisers) and Clint Eastwood’s film (both under the title of 'Flags of our Fathers').  The discussion will have broad Public History focus, looking at how the media uses images to portray events in the news, and the implications that this has for historical interpretation in the future.

This lecture is taken from week five of the MOOC The Camera Never Lies, which is being led as a discussion group at Mulberry Street and Grand Central Libraries, as part of New York Public Library's partnership with Coursera.