How does an image become “iconic?” And when it does, will its meaning change? Host Vincent Brown explores these questions as he zooms in on one of the most well-known photos from September 11: “Raising the Flag at Ground Zero.” Photographer Thomas E. Franklin talks about the instant he captured the actions of the firefighters and the experience of watching his work become a cultural phenomenon.
Images can tell powerful stories. One iconic photograph can symbolize an entire era. But if we expand the frame and examine the moment in which it was taken, a very different story can emerge. In this series of documentary shorts, Harvard University historian Dr. Vincent Brown meets with curators, photographers and other experts to challenge common assumptions about iconic American images.
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