By 1943, the U.S. military went on the offensive against Japanese forces in the Pacific and in doing so, began the process of amassing the most powerful military force in human history. Never before in history had a single nation been able to project so much combined sea, air, and land power.
Beginning in 1944 and through 1945, the American Museum of Modern Art in New York City hosted a photographic exhibition entitled, “Power in the Pacific.”
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| Image 1. Opening of the "Power in the Pacific" Exhibition at MOMA, 1944. |
Edward Steichen, a renowned American modernist photographer, had been placed in command of all naval combat photography--called the Naval Aviation Photographic Unit-- during the Pacific War, the result being this very popular exhibition. Steichen was in command of dozens of photographers who were stationed on board naval vessels, with naval aviators, and with Marines engaging in amphibious warfare. The photographs, some as large as six feet tall, were brought together to demonstrate how American technology empowered ideology, the conviction of U.S. power and victory, the grit and determination of the individual, and the male body at war on the ocean.
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| Image 2. Steichen at work, on board the U.S.S. Lexington, 1943. |
The introduction to the exhibition read as follows:
“Here is the war in the western seas, and here are the men who fight it…Yesterday these men were boys; today they are seasoned warriors. Yesterday the airplanes were but lines on a thousand blueprints, today they sting the air with death, and shake the earth with blastings. Yesterday the ships lay stacked in piles of shapeless metal; today they cleave the trackless sea, belching steel and brimstone against the slimy swamps, the mountain caves, the jungle.”
Below are select photographs that resulted from this project.
I. Power.
From the images below, how might technology empower ideology? To what extent can we locate a technological fanaticism through wartime images such as these? (Along the lines of Adas' formulations)
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| Image 3. Amassing the Fleet at Ulithi Atoll, 1945. |
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| Image 4. Aircraft operations on board the U.S.S. Lexington, 1943. |
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| Image 5. Divebombers circling over the U.S.S. Hornet, 1945. |
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| Image 6. Nighttime action, date unknown. |
II. Heterosocial behavior and the visualization of the male body at war.
How might these images showcase "proper" masculinity in the context of 1940s wartime?
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| Image 7. Exercise on board an aircraft carrier, date unknown. |
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| Image 8. Servicemen Gerald Ford playing basketball on board the U.S.S. Monterey, 1944. |
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| Image 9. Sailors enjoy downtime, date unknown. |
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| Image 10. Celebrating after successful mission, date unknown. |
III. Agony.
Why did Steichen's unit also amass and display images that revealed the unsavory aspects of combat, such as the violence, the pain, the isolation, and the potential loss of hope?
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| Image 11. Crewmen lift wounded aviator, 1943. |
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| Image 12. Crewmen tend to wounded comrade, date unknown. |
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| Image 13. Coffee break for Eniwetok Marine survivors, 1944. |
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| Image 14. Marines post sign after capturing Tarawa, 1943. |
The idea of technology compelling ideology makes a lot of sense when one considers it in the context of WWII. The American propaganda machine churned out a lot of anti-Japanese/pro-White material, always depicting the Japanese as less than human, and the white man as the "white knight", the ideal human being. This jingo-nationalist idea could have easily convinced American soldiers that they were part of this superior white race, especially considering the large technological edge that the American's held over the Japanese. With more sophisticated land, air, and sea technology, American Marines would encounter Japanese soldiers with few supplies and dated weaponry, while also witnessing the desperation of the Japanese army as it sent it's own planes crashing into American ships. I think the technological and tactical edge that the American military held over the Japanese during WWII helped solidify notions of white superiority and power within America. One only has to compare images, like the first one at the top of this page of the line of American Battleships to an image of the Japanese navy during WWII to get a feel for the technological and tactical superiority that American held over the Japanese.
ReplyDeleteI. Aircraft carriers are considered the most important ships in a naval fleet. The U.S. Navy was saved at Pearl Harbor because the aircraft carriers were not in the harbor. These images can represent this technological fanaticism because they highlight the powerful weapons used in dominating the Pacific theater.
ReplyDeleteII. The exercise image and basketball game represent the idea of physical strength. The celebration image of the men surrounding the airplane, not only highlights the idea of superior technology but the raised fists give off a sense of strength, superiority, and accomplishment. Men were supposed to be tough and physical strength was one way to display this masculinity.
III. In a way, these images that reveal the unsavory aspects of combat make the Japanese seem more inhumane. These images could also be used to either boost morale or as a persuasive tool to bring the soldiers home. In the first case, the pain and desperation could rally support by showing the public what the soldiers were dealing with and therefore encourage the public to do their part too. In the second instance, the images that seem to express hopelessness, such as the forlorn expressions worn by the men drinking coffee, could be used as a protest to end the war immediately. I was also struck by how young one of the guys looks who is drinking coffee. While the other two older looking men, looking just as wearied, and ragged by war seem to have aged more than they should.
I.The first picture “Steichen at Work” is interesting because as he’s looking out into the ocean and behind him seems as if it is a busy street of planes on deck. This illustrates how large these vessels really are. It would be easy to be inspired by something that huge that could unleash a mass of fire power.
ReplyDeleteII. The men exercising on the flight deck and also the men playing basketball portrayed well trained and physically strong men that were apt and ready for war. The steady group of ships showed that we could mobilize and maintain our strength at a moments notice.
III. I agree with slefferts, that it could have been used as a persuasive tool. By showing the images of this burned man with oil all over him it would anger those at home and influence them to continue in the war effort. There were a lot of women during this period working in factories to build planes and other war materials. The factories required a lot of people to mass produce materials. These pictures also bring out the realities of war.
The images of the carriers and airplanes demonstrate the U.S. had the superior Naval ships and supplies. They are probably used to show the power the use Naval had even, and how they over came a national tragedy. The images of the men playing basketball and games is to show the unity the men had abroad ships. It highlights midshipman's masculinity. I think the photographer added in the injured men to show the other side of war that most people over look. Some people go in it for the glory or adventure and they do not look at what could happened. War is hell and I think that is what this photographer was trying to demonstrate.
ReplyDeleteI. These set of photos deal with the formation of Ships and Air Craft Carriers. Carriers were more important ships because their superior technology helped them to defeat the Japanese at the Pacific.
ReplyDeleteII. These set of photos deal with soldiers doing physical activity doing their leisure time. By looking at this photos, these solders are very well-conditioned and doing these activities can help them to make them more agile in the battlefield. The last two photos tell that the soldiers are taking it easy from a long day of fighting.
III. The first two photos in this set deal with pain and agony because the soldiers are looking close to death. Out of the two, the second photo is more likely to die because the soldier is shot in more than one place and he is losing a ton of blood. The last two photos of set deal with dazed and confusion. The reason is because one of the marines' look on his face was suspicious and the all the three signs were pointing in the same direction, which could cause a lot confusion. What was the point of the last sign because it looks like to me that soldiers made up the place that is not really there like an optical illusion.
Technology can clearly empower ideology through the assumption that the most technologically superior nation or person is presumably the most adept and able to govern and or rule given the assumptions of Darwinian natural selection. If this is the case then that fact that American military technologies were projected and internalized as a vastly superior to that of other nations, it is easy to see how technological fanatics could have seen the profound message underlined through these photographs. Namely, that the American navy’s vast quantities of incredibly powerful aircraft carriers which can clearly pose an immense dual threat (from the air and by sea) to any overseas force which attempts to subvert American power, are a clear example of how the America is a far superior nation; deserving of global respect, adoration and fear.
ReplyDeleteThe second body of pictures display that proper American manliness is white, clean-cut, intelligent and dependent on an atmosphere of brotherhood, mutual trust, and competitiveness (potentially born out of Darwinian notions again).
This group also had to display graphic photographs to send the message that war still comes at a price regardless of American military technological advancement. Without acknowledging the fact that men and women die in war, the American public forgets the cost. However, and much more importantly, photographic recognition of these combat casualties also prompts the public to understanding that they must keep turning out progressively better technologies to protect those soldiers still in the line of fire. This could be a mean to an end for fanatics because they will have the opportunity to view the progression of technologies emerging from the US and watch them increasingly be used to project American power abroad. It also ensures that the American populous does not enter a state of satisfaction with their current levels of production and ingenuity but that they must continue to labor to nourish this war machine.
As we discussed in Tuesday’s lecture, technological fanaticism during World War II was the belief in technological superiority, thus meaning any solution to a problem could be solved through the use of technology, including putting an end to the war. The images displayed in the first section demonstrate the immense power of the U.S. military, namely the prestigious naval fleet. The photographs depict the images of multiple aircraft carriers strategically placed in the Pacific, therefore displaying to the American public the superiority of the U.S. military. In the second section, I believe Steichen was trying to convey the physical superiority and strength to the American public by showing the sailors enjoying a game of basketball. The third set of images however, displays a different side of the war to the public. Instead of showing images of what could be considered racial superiority or technological dominance, the images depict soldiers badly wounded and truly suffering the hellish effects of war.
ReplyDeleteIn the United States, World War II is one of the most monumental times in manufacturing history. After the crippling stock market crash in 1929, the United States was thrown into the Great Depression, leaving many American citizens starving, jobless and homeless. Upon the United States entering into the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, this provided the opportunity for manufacturing and industrialization to once again thrive and it provided limitless jobs to American citizens back home that wanted to contribute to the war effort and help out the boys overseas. Because of the amount of jobs it provided and the fact that many men were overseas fighting, it proved to be a monumental time in women’s history as well. More and more women were obtaining jobs in factories to produce munitions and goods needed to assist in the war effort. It was not uncommon for women to be found working on assembly lines, including in the production of military aircraft. (This is the time is when the famous “Rosie the Riveter” poster was introduced).
I believe that Steichen may have used his photographs as a form of propaganda for the common American, whether it be to instill a feeling of unity amongst American citizens and encourage more to join in the war effort or as a morale booster to show that the United States is a powerful, dominating nation. I think they were also meant to show the workers back home how their hard work was contributing.
I. Technology of the day allowed the U.S. to impose its will on others both during and after the war. The fact that the technology that was developed was war-centric had the added effect of making the U.S. act more aggressively in foriegn affairs than if the tech had been, say, economic centric.
ReplyDeleteII. The pictures of men exercising and playing together demonstrates how the "strenuous life" was still a model for male behavior in the day. This being the armed forces, however, there was also a large emphasis on comradare among men as well, no doubt to encourage coperation during combat actions and to unite the country against the enemies of the time.
III. Soldiers were out at seas for vast stretches of time and wanted to communicate their hardships to people back home. As the Vietnam war demonstrated, soldiers hate to feel unappreciated.
1)The United States in WW2 used their technological advantages to empower their ideology. This is evident in the photos displaying the Aemrican brute power. The United States was able to win in the Pacific because of their technological advancements. American viewed themselves as a world power and their ideology was that of the same.
ReplyDelete2. The photo's of the men displayed the American soldier as the athletic indestructible force that fueled the American forces. The photos displayed the unity of the soldiers, and of America.
3. The agony of war photo's allowed our society to have a glimpse of what our soldiers overseas had to endure. He did this because he wanted the Americans to continue their fight for victory
I. The photographs that show the technology of the American war machine affirm the idea that US technological prowess is our biggest asset. Photographs like this can certainly contribute to a ‘technological fanaticism’ by portraying images of American domination in the sea and in the air. The picture of the aircraft carriers in Ulithi Atoll shows both the massive (and numerous) carriers and the vastness of the Pacific. This depicts the capabilities of what was also being promoted back home as something of a collective effort. The contributions of civilians, whether it was in the factory or by rationing efforts and war bonds, was certainly on display to some degree for the American audience of these photos. This is a significant and subtle sort of propaganda.
ReplyDeleteII. The pictures of the men on board the aircraft carriers attempt to show a sort of “Americanness” even during war and so far away from American soil. They play basketball and write letters back home. This shows a sort of sentimentality, but also strength. The physicality of the soldiers is on display too, and all of the pictures try to project a sort of brotherhood.
III. The photos that show the pain, injury, and isolation of life on the aircraft carrier helps to remind the American public of the sacrifice made by the American soldier.
In the first group of pictures, you can tell that the United States emerged as a technological super power during WWII. Other countries might have had powerful technology as well but no other country probably had the same quantity as the US had. The US was able to mass produce a lot of military hardware because so many Americans on the home front helped out with the war cause.
ReplyDeleteThe second group of pictures shows that U.S. servicemen believed in strength in numbers. The men seemed to be forming strong male bonds (playing basketball together, celebrating together after a successful mission) since they realized that they were all fighting for a common cause. Forming strong bonds was important because it probably helped the men work better together when they were in combat.
I think that Steichen’s unit displayed images that revealed the unpleasant aspects of combat so that Americans knew actually what happened during the war. The servicemen were able to tell a lot of stories when they got home from the war but actual images are more powerful. The unit probably wanted to paint a realistic picture in the minds of Americans of what the servicemen had to endure overseas.
Power: The photographs of US military might demonstrate immensity and order. One photo shows a row of aircraft carriers visible all the way to the horizon. Another, the lengthy runway of an aircraft carrier displayed the greatness of American technology. That order was important is displayed by the aircrafts on deck, wings folded neatly, stacked side by side in neat lines. These photos demonstrate not only American military power but that of its industry and technology.
ReplyDeleteHeterosocial Behavior: The portrayal of the heterosocial behavior of American servicemen aboard ships comes across as being an almost natural lifestyle. The servicemen seem to behave the same as they would back home. In one photo, some guys played basketball, demonstrating both the athleticism and competitive spirit of American boys even during war. The guys in these photos all seem comfortable and engaged in group activity. I believe it was important for the photographer to display American servicemen as being naturally suited for warfare.
Agony: Although these photos show some of the horrors of war, I believe that they are intended more to show the camaraderie and sacrifice of American Servicemen. The first three pictures show the wounded being cared for by servicemen quite solemnly. Photos of the wounded were very important for demonstrating the sacrifice that American servicemen were giving for the preservation of the nation. A photo of a man covered in his own blood demonstrates this the best. A photo of a sign post demonstrates a different kind of sacrifice, that of being away from home and the thousands of miles of war still left to go.
The duality of sacrifice and camaraderie were vital to the American vision of its military.
These photos together are meant to display the might of American servicemen and its military machine. American military technology was vast and tremendous, but orderly,too. American servicemen demonstrated the best traits of American citizens, social, competitive, athletic and willing to sacrifice on behalf of their country.
The idea of technology being equated with superiority is evident in the first set of photos. The pictures of the ships and planes imply that the United States being technologically more advanced meant that they were also superior in other ways as well.
ReplyDeleteThe second set of photos convey the strength of the men fighting in the Pacific. Not only did the U.S. have technological power, but the man power to defeat the Japanese as well.The third set show the brutality and pain of the war in the Pacific, maybe in an attempt to gain support for the war by showing how the soldiers were being treated and show how the U.S. needed to continue fighting to protect the U.S.
Here is the thing about the United States. We were better than everyone else because we had the technology that mattered the most. There was no doubt about it. We had giant floating cities, and giant islands that could rival anything that Japan or Hitler had. The most stunning part of these pictures is how confident they make America appear. The USA looks like it is a fighting force in which to be reckoned and not messed with. Makes the Japanese attack seem pretty poorly thought out at this point.
ReplyDeleteMy last blog post (before the server deleted it) went on and on about how the third set of photos changed tone. They made soldiers look more human, as opposed to perfect shining cogs in the brilliant American machine. It’s images like this that cause people to worry and begin to feel that their “heroes” are not as strong as they once thought. There were images of burned men and pictures of their sons with holes in their chests. These images personified war to the American people and could do wonders to American moral. We could not have a reason to hate our enemy; they are killing our men.
The American Military is a powerful force, one that is one of the strongest on the planet. Taking a good look at their job description would lead us to understand why sometimes things go wrong, or why sometimes they experience moments of weakness. Killing innocent civilians once their brothers in arms are killed is a natural reaction to the conditions in which they are born. We train our men in uniform to kill, and it’s what they do best. While murder is not excusable, the US Army is not always the basketball playing, smiling set of white men we see in the second set of photos. There is a dark, sinister, merciless side to our men and women in uniform, and its because we don’t win by showing compassion.
In the first four pictures technology empowers ideology because these massive, powerful machines and weapons were a display of American superiority over other nations. Americans have always had that sense of superiority over countries and the ships, weapons, and air craft that came about in World War II added to that superior ideal. Technology equals advancement.
ReplyDeleteThe following group of pictures represented the soldier’s masculinity. War in itself was a way to boost manhood. Another way for a man to exert manliness would be to display physical strength. The pictures showed that the soldiers were in shape and agile and would be prepared for the battlefield. The picture of the soldiers together and smiling after a successful mission appears to show unity among the men in the military.
The last group of pictures represents the unsavory side of war. These pictures showed the violence and pain of war. The picture of the surviving men drinking coffee even shows the psychological effect of war and how treacherous the war truly was for the soldiers. These pictures could be used as propaganda against the Japanese who are the guilty party responsible for the devastation of the war. It made the American soldiers into courageous brave heroes who embodied their countries ideas of masculinity and fought for their country at all costs against the ruthless Japanese. It could also be incentives for the people back at home to support their troops in the war effort.
I. I believe the photos of the carriers lined up, as well as the planes flying over the ships, are attempting to illustrate the power of American technology. Those ships are huge. Not only that, but as you can in the photo there are quite a few of them.
ReplyDeleteII. I feel that this group of photos are attempting to convey the idea that the American men fighting in the Pacific are regular American men. They enjoy physical activity, such as playing basketball together. They also have other things on their mind as well though. The photo of the men during some free time shows that. One of them is taking th time to write while another is reading. The last picture in this section I believe is simply trying to show the close bond that these men have. In the others we see them exercising together and sharing down time. Here we see them celebrating together. The main idea I believe is that they were in it together.
III. I'm not quite sure why the last section was included. Perhaps it was just to give people back home just a glimpse of the hardships of the war in an effort to keep/increase support for the troops back home.
I. In these images, it is evident that to empower ideology, photos of technological advances were necessary. In the third and fourth photos, we see a large fleet of impressive ships and giant weapons being loaded into an aircraft. The U.S. wanted to continue propaganda at home through showing the grandeur of the existing military technology. We are strong, which is why the following photos featuring attacks and wounded men are significant. These sort of photos show our supreme machinery and men being attacked by the lesser Japanese. To impact the jingoist mentality that was felt after Pearl Harbor, it was necessary to show that even though we are with better machines, our boys are being hurt. We need to fight the enemy.
ReplyDeleteII. In photo 7 and 8, we see men together doing physical activity. This exhibits proper masculinity in that the idea of the “All American Man” is an athlete who is tough and competitive. They are real men, and real men are fit. Image 10 is interesting in this perspective. This example of proper masculinity shows the bond of brotherhood formed between fellow airmen.
III. These less than savory images are important to the wartime effort for the main reason that they show the truth behind war. The propaganda existing in the US during the war was making it look very romantic to be a soldier. They could exercise and play around on their supreme machinery in the downtime and then kill Japs. In reality, hundreds of thousands perished in the war. World War II in no way, shape or form should be made to look glamorous.
The pictures presented above display the mentality of the ww2 American war machine. The United States believed in the superiority of our technology and un challenged industrial productivity. The symbol of the American aircraft carrier is the true symbol of American technological mite. Such an expensive endeavor as the aircraft carrier and produced on such a large scale truly represents the supremacy of American military mite. Although not as advanced as the many of the Third Reich's weaponry the US led the way in war production. Due to the fact the American industry did not suffer attack like any of the other powers in ww2 its industrial capability to vastly produce a war machine added to the allure of American exceptionalism and the basis for future American military endeavors
ReplyDelete1.)The concept of technological fanaticism in these pictures is evident from the amount of power shown. Military equipment such as Aircraft carriers and the advanced fighter planes did not come along until just before WWII. The image with the aircraft carriers shows we had the ability to produce these huge ships in great quantity.
ReplyDelete2.)These images show "proper" masculinity because these are the types of images people back home would have liked to see. It shows there sons and friends having fun, being physical, and in the last photo being successful at war. It was not the type of images and horror stories that had come back from the Philippines and previous U.S. combat.
3. Steichen probably took these types of photos to show the public that the war was not just a game but a reality though far from home. It gave the U.S. a sense that they had men out there fighting and suffering so it could possibly have been used as a propaganda tool to unify the public. It also could have been used to help collect more war bonds or rise the production level of war machines.
There is no question of the technological might of America in World War Two. The fact that by the end of the war Liberty Ships were launched at the rate of one ever 36-48 hours is a staggering statistic, no other nation in the world could compete with that.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of men playing basketball is a useful tool showing how physical our soldiers are and back home families could see a sense of normal everyday activities.
The photos of the wounded bring a sense of reality to people that war is not fun and has real cost. To those who do not have friends or family serving or if they did, it was a reminder that could be their son, brother or father. I would say however I doubt many of these were shown back home.
As a person who has many relatives who has fought in every conflict from the Revolution to the present and has researched and published material on my families military service, I see these photos as a valuable resource. Many people do not realize that for all the soldiers who fought there were almost that many more who never saw combat. There were four regiments of engineers who spent 1943-1944 building the Alaskan Highway and many more in the US, Panama and throughout the world who were just reserves, it speaks to the might of the US that if needed we could send that many more into combat