Photography Analysis: Photojournalism & Protest in 20th Century History
 
Media Literacy | Critical Thinking | Visual Storytelling
 
 
***********⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ Content Warning: This resource includes sensitive and historically intense photographs, including war, protest, and disaster imagery. Please review all materials and use with discretion for grades 7 and up. *************
 
 
This Photography Analysis Set explores six powerful photographs that capture turning points in 20th-century history—from the beaches of D-Day to a quiet act of defiance in Tiananmen Square. Each photo represents a moment when photojournalism didn’t just capture history—it changed it.
 
Perfect for middle and high school students, this set fosters visual literacy, historical empathy, and media awareness through structured image analysis.
 
Each photograph includes:
✅ Enlarged image (ready for print or digital projection)
✅ Detailed background information on the photo, event, and photographer
✅ Key themes (war, protest, propaganda, courage, freedom, disaster)
✅ 12 student questions per photo, divided into:
Observation
Interpretation & Meaning
Deeper Thinking
Photos included:
Robert Capa – D-Day, Normandy Landings (1944)
James Nachtwey – Unpublished 9/11 (2001)
Stanley Forman – The Soiling of Old Glory (1976)
Charlie Cole – Tank Man, Tiananmen Square (1989)
Fred Morley – Milkman in the Blitz (1940, staged morale photo)
Sam Shere – The Hindenburg Disaster (1937)
Why Teachers Love It:
This set encourages deep thinking about the role of photography in shaping collective memory, political movements, and social values. Whether used in history, English, ethics, or media classes, these photos create meaningful opportunities for writing, discussion, and perspective-taking.