A photographic display of the post-WWII era

My student Laura was trolling around on the Internet recently and came across this link:


http://community.livejournal.com/everyday_i_show/85173.html 


The photographs are by Henri Cartier-Bresson and they beautifully illustrate many of the themes we are studying in Chapter 14 of our text entitled, "Twentieth-Century Political and Cultural Ferment." I think the photos are overly representative of life in Europe and the United States, but the Cold War certainly complicated travel. The picture of the student demonstration in China is beautiful.


For those that need the warning, one of the pictures at the end does display full nudity.  As Laura said: "I highly suggest you check it out, there are pictures of things I just read in chapter 14!!"  I agree, and I think photography is a powerful way to depict historical themes. These photographs hauntingly illustrate some of the most complex, terrifying and beautiful moments in the 20th century-- they are not to be missed. 


Here is a teaser: 

Welcome

I teach, study, read, write and photograph history. However, this blog is not about me. It is about my students and their work. I teach undergraduate college students of all ages. I love to see my students discover the histories they find most fascinating, and I think other individuals should have this privilege as well.  My vision for this blog is that it will have at least three kinds of posts: first, this blog will be used to display my students' work. Second, it will be used to illustrate the things we do together in class, with references to things such as learning strengths and multiple intelligences. The third kind of post will attempt to share interesting news and events that reveals new information or discusses political and social developments impacting the college students with whom I work. My hope is that they will comment on these developments from their perspective.

The most interesting thing about what my students and I do together is how unlikely their interest is -- initially. It is rare that my students are history majors, so I try to find ways to make the material as relevant and interesting as I find it. Luckily, I believe that the past we discuss in class has a direct connection to their present lives. I try to build bridges between past and present to invite them to look more deeply at both. When I have not put them to sleep and they have decided to engage the material, they do the same things I do as a historian. They get excited, curious -- sometimes angry -- and they always have more questions. This is where their work comes in. I'm proud of the progress they make in our class time together, and I think their work should have a place in the blogosphere.

To that end, a few students are currently preparing work for this site. I hope to have it here soon.