Pictures That Changed The World

[Kire]

This is an amazing blog called "Slorker" about famous pictures in 20th Century history.

Slate magazine has a collection of Magnum photos which changed the world. Mostly doused in black and white gradients, these pictures feature significant historical incidents. Some of them, like the picture of the girl who grew up in a concentration camp are remarkably powerful reflections on our actions.

http://slorker.com/pictures-that-changed-the-world/

the one with of the girl who grew up in a holocaust camp is just haunting, others are much more positive and inspiring, some are surreal, but all are great pictures.

[Tindalos]

1. Thanks for posting this

These are very powerful pictures.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. The photo of the Afghani girl

has always been one of my favorites. Her eyes are haunting.

[NashVegas]

3. Great Collection. I Challenge That They Changed The World, Though

Most of them captured images of a world that was/is changing and had no affect on changing events or opinions, themselves. The drinking fountain shot may have had some impact on future events, but I've never heard its impact spoken of.

[Kire]

4. well, they moved me

and a few other people at least, and I am part of the world, so, logically, if you change one person, you change the world, but that's just me beign all intellectual and stuff

Seriously, though, do you really think the Tiananmen Square picture never changed anything, and the hippie protester confronting the national guard with the flower outside the Pentagon during the Vietnam war?

You're welcome to your opinion, but please allow me the opportunity to defend mine.

[NashVegas]

5. To Do What?

I know I'm being a hard ass here, and the collection was given its title not by you but the people promoting it, but you seem to agree and so yes, I am going to make you defend that opinion.

How did the world change as a result of the publication of the photo of the Tiananmen Square? Did publishing the photo of "Tank Man" stop or advance the massacre? Did it stop or advance China's reformation to Democracy any more than the protests and the fact they were receiving news coverage? (Similar photos exist, and there's an AP photo that was more widely published.)

I could ask similar questions of just about every photo in the collections.

I don't think the collection, as a whole, had the real impact to drive change as much as that one shot of the little girl running from a napalm attack.

[Kire]

6. I don't respond to people who try to "make me" do anything

and I don't appreciate the tone of your post

if it upsets you that much, then contact the authors here:

http://slorker.com/contact/

[regnaD kciN]

8. To answer the most obvious question...

Seriously, though, do you really think the Tiananmen Square picture never changed anything

No. It changed nothing. The protest was crushed, the government prevailed, and is now a world economic superpower (possibly the world economic superpower), graced by our own government with Most Favored Nation status and about to shine in the world spotlight with its hosting of the Olympics. The authoritarian status-quo from before the demonstrations is set in cement for the foreseeable future. The fact that the protests generated a memorable video clip is, in the real-world lives of the Chinese people, meaningless.

Remember the war against Franco?
That's the kind where each of us belongs.
Though he may have won all the battles,
We had all the good songs.

-- Tom Lehrer, "Folk Song Army"

[regnaD kciN]

7. Exactly...

They're capturing a world in rapid motion, but I doubt that any of these "changed the world." MLK's "I have a dream" speech may have changed the world, but a photograph of him delivering it would have little effect by comparison.

[TahitiNut]

9. When our perceptions of the world change we often think it's the world that changed.

For those who adhere to the "perception is reality" maxim, the changed perception is equated to a changed world. But it's called "photojournalism" ... and its importance isn't in facilitating change directly as much as in equipping "change agents" with perceptions. Sadly, however, we treat it as infotainment - with an almost identical response as having watched a good movie.

The body politic is narcotized with entertainment.