Unless you are an avid follower of World War II material most of the 900 pictures presented in this 20 part retrospective will be new for you. The black and white photography is compelling while not pandering to sensation. What is it about black and white that cuts to the essence of the subject? With images of this caliber color becomes an unwanted distraction.
The Atlantic article gives you the option of viewing the images at 1024 or 1280 pixels and all the photos are easily downloadable although you can purchase prints from the publisher. The retrospective is remarkable for its dignified portrait of people enduring.
Humanity and civilization are fragile. How does one explain the appalling behavior of one human towards another? The answers are not here and no generally accepted explanation has yet to be found. With great relief I found in the final installment a photograph taken in 1946 of an American GI and a Japanese woman together as a romantic couple. It is easy to read too much into the picture but it remains an indication of the first signs of healing. We are a remarkably resilient species.
World War Two Retrospective:
Here's the breakdown into its separate parts:
Before the war
Invasion of Poland and the Winter War
Axis invasions and the Fall of France
Battle of Britain
Conflict Spreads around the Globe
Operation Barbarossa
Pearl Harbor
American Home Front in Color
Daring Raids and Brutal Reprisals
Internment of Japanese Americans
Battle of Midway and the Aleutian Campaign
North Africa Campaign
Women at War
Eastern Front
Pacific Islands
Allied Invasion of Europe
Fall of Nazi Germany
Holocaust
Fall of Imperial Japan
After the War
Related Topics:
Pacific Theater: 1941
Objective: France, 1940
Rendezvous of Generals
Kursk
Over Easy
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