Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins

Most Iconic Photo Representing the US.


Larry

Recommended Posts

I created a thread with this title, probably a decade ago.  I think it did really well.  Actually generated a lot of productive discussion.  Figured with the Fourth coming up, I'd try it again, and see if we get results as good as it's previous incarnation. 

 

As before, I will ask that people 1) pick only one image.  If that's tough, then it's supposed to be.  And 2) actually do some writing, and explain your choice.  And, hopefully, interact with other people's choices, as well. 

 

First time I did this, it actually took me like six hours to pick out which image I'd go with.  This time, it's quicker, because my reasonings really haven't changed, and so I'm just sticking with the previous image. 

 

15-DL59-613x486.jpg

 

 

Part of my reasoning for this particular image, was that I wanted something that would be an icon, not just for an American, but for non-Americans, as well.  I was thinking, for example, that, to me, the icon for France is the Eifel tower.  A Frenchman might very well pick something else.  But whatever he picked, I probably wouldn't even recognize as French. 

 

That, for example, allowed me to rule out images like the flag raising at Iwo Jima.  I assume most non-Americans wouldn't even know what it was. 

 

(I will not that I'm not going to attempt to decree that others pick "foreigner recognizable" images.  That was one of my criteria.  It doesn't have to be yours.) 

 

And I suspect (I may be wrong) that Walt Disney probably represents America, to non-Americans.  Despite the fact that he's been dead for longer than a whole lot of people have been alive.  (I suspect, but I'm not sure, that the power of film and television allows lots of people to recognize him, despite his deceased-ness)

 

At least I sure hope that Uncle Walt is one of the things that people associate with America.  We could do a lot worse, than to have him as our Ambassador. 

 

(Yes, that is then-Vice President Nixon and family, helping Walt cut the ribbon to launch the Disney monorail.) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me it has always been the Skyscraper Lunch photo taken during the Depression:

 

Lunch-atop-a-skyscraper-c1932.jpg

 

Something about it...the inherent danger, the "America built on the backs of blue collar immigrants" thing.  It's sort of a link to the old throwback ideal of American toughness and grit, even as we've lost much of it, while still staying leaps and bounds ahead of most of our competitors via technology.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, being a non-American child of the '80's, an album cover came to symbolise everything we believed America to be being it had the American working class hero who's songs were about the real American way of life we all so craved to experience in our flights of fantasy from our humdrum lives on the cover in front of the stars and stripes:

 

 

brucespringsteenusa-j0069d.jpg

 

The Boss WAS America growing up. 

 

Hail. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gibbs,

I do wonder how much of the world's view of the US comes from our entertainment industry.

For example, one of the images on my short list was the image of the Western movie. (And I think John Wayne would be more iconic than Clint Eastwood.)

 

I also wonder how many of the images will be images of America Past.  The skyscraper photo.  Walt Disney.  Assume the moon landing will be in here somewhere. 

 

One of the icons that I considered, but decided that it related to a past that doesn't exist any more, was the image of a large wooden shipping crate labeled "Made in USA" 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OLYMPICS-BLACK-POWER-SALU-008.jpg

If you want an image with international appeal I think mine has it.  People all around the world saw that happen.  I also think the story behind it is cool, that John Carlos forgot his gloves at the Olympic Village so they had to share Tommie Smith's pair, and that the idea for that came from Peter Norman, the Aussie pictured.  I also think it's cool that Peter Norman was protesting what he saw as civil rights issues in Australia at the same time.  To me the image says volumes about the fact that black athletes were allowed to compete on the same field, yet clearly things in the wider world were not equal.  And that's still where we are if you ask me, which is the final reason I picked it.

 

To me iconic means that the image can be expected to be recognized easily by a wide audience.  While people will likely recognize Walt Disney and Nixon in the picture in the OP, nothing about that picture stands out to me as iconic.  It just doesn't feel really compelling to me in any way.

 

Fess up, Larry - this thread was really just an elaborate excuse to post a picture of Walt Disney, right? :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Confessing that I don't even know what/who Sacks' picture is about.

Springfield, your picture is IMPORTANT. But does it REPRESENT the country?

Maybe the "ground zero" picture does that, better?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Confessing that I don't even know what/who Sacks' picture is about.

It's the "leave Brittney Spears alone" dude. I think it was a dude? It was a dude, right?

Confessing that I don't even know what/who Sacks' picture is about.

Springfield, your picture is IMPORTANT. But does it REPRESENT the country?

Maybe the "ground zero" picture does that, better?

That's why I prefer the Iwo Jima or Neil Armstrong. The 9/11 was definitely the biggest event of my life, but I don't think it necessarily represents who we are as a country... that much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gibbs,

I do wonder how much of the world's view of the US comes from our entertainment industry.

For example, one of the images on my short list was the image of the Western movie. (And I think John Wayne would be more iconic than Clint Eastwood.)

 

......

 

Clint sprang instantly to mind for me too being more my generation but the Duke would probably be more appropriate for many. 

 

I can only speak personally on Springsteen but he just became ingrained in my childhood conscience of representing this far off land that was SO different from the grey, gloomy Hell hole of Thatcher's England in the '80's. He was, at least in my imagination, the working class rebel/ hero that was the US equivalent to one of my City's favourite sons, Lennon. And with the back drop of the cold war, he released Born in the USA with that iconic vinyl sleeve and it was like the' American Dream' was still alive ..... He was singing about real America and taking us to places we'd only seen on the TV. The pride in America just shone through. You really MEANT something to those of us in the rest of the World ya' know? My favourite song off of that one is the last track, 'My Home Town' ...... I've always thought to Americans of a certain generation that must encapsulate their youth/ life perfectly. 

 

Hail. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, being a non-American child of the '80's, an album cover came to symbolise everything we believed America to be being it had the American working class hero who's songs were about the real American way of life we all so craved to experience in our flights of fantasy from our humdrum lives on the cover in front of the stars and stripes:

 

 

<an album cover focusing on a man's ass>

 

The Boss WAS America growing up. 

 

Hail.

This is painting a clearer picture of your recent revelations in the RTT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a MLK picture from the I have a dream speech.

 

Might be the greatest speech of all time.

Might? ;)  Few great photos from that day. 

 

No way I can pick one. Or even just a few,since there are so many that have been taken. I'll pick a couple from one of my favorite photographers to start off with. Ansel Adams. 

 

Ansel_Adams_biography_The_Tetons_and_the

 

 

46-photos-of-life-at-a-japanese-internme

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where is the best in that photo?

Edit sorry, I guess the guys holding the flags are blocking the whackos.

Army Staff Sgt. Anthony D. Davis who gave his life for his country. And the men and women who stood guard to honor him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PCS...

 

Adams is easily one of the best... his work coincides with my appreciation for the work that Escher did as an artist.

I have a few copies of their work.

 

I have seen tons of both of their work all over the country. Simply great talents.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed. One of the things I enjoyed discovering about Adams work when I did some research on his zone system and works with tones,was his work with people. It's been known to fly under the radar when talking about his work,but he was amazing with people as well. Note: I just went past the area where the second pic I posted was taken about 6 weeks ago. In 2015 it's in the middle of nowhere,much less when that photograph was taken. 

 

 

Oh yeah. Another one. Bit obvious I think,but iconic never the less. :) 

 

Legendary_kiss_V%E2%80%93J_day_in_Times_

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can only speak personally on Springsteen but he just became ingrained in my childhood conscience of representing this far off land that was SO different from the grey, gloomy Hell hole of Thatcher's England in the '80's. He was, at least in my imagination, the working class rebel/ hero that was the US equivalent to one of my City's favourite sons, Lennon.

I'm thinking that if I were to pick a musical icon for the US, it would be The Beach Boys.

Elvis would obviously be more recognized. But I like the Beach Boy's image more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...