Fine lines:
Documentary and Propaganda

Bias and Perspective

Perspective: we all have it (so do primary sources)! Mix of nationality, race, gender, religion, political views, socioeconomic status, etc.--it's how we see the world. Just because you view the world from a certain perspective does not mean you are biased.

Bias: people (or sources) become biased when no amount of new information (for example, FSA photographs) can change our mind or help us expand our perspective.

Principles of Image Analysis

	Production	Consumption	Image
Context	Who made the image? When? Why? For who?	Who is the intended audience? How did the audience interpret the image?	What does the image reflect about the time period?
Composition	What genre does the image belong to?	How was the image viewed? With other images, alongside text, in a film, etc.? How might this affect the message?	How is the image composed (lighting, frame, perspective, foreground/background, etc.)? How might this affect the message?
Technological	What technology was used to produce the image?	What technology was used to distribute the image to audiences?	Are there any visual effects on the image made possible by technology?

Table adapted from Gillian Rose, Visual Methodologies, 21.

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017769825/

Photographs as Primary Sources

Fine lines:
Documentary and Propaganda

Bias and Perspective

Principles of Image Analysis

FSA Photographs

FSA Photographs

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Photographs as Primary Sources

FSA Photographs

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