Wars propose a complicated situation for every country involved because the whole dynamic of the economy must change not to mention the emotional tribulations. The United States experienced these challenges during World War II. Although initially not trying to get involved in the conflict, the US retaliated after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. Sacrifices, both voluntary and involuntary, were made by citizens of the US to help the country prevail in battle. During 1943 the US government issued shoe rationing (three pairs of leather shoes per year), meat rationing (28oz per week), and standstill wages and prices to streamline the economy (A WW2 Timeline). With all the country’s resources all going to the war and people dying, the future looked bleak.
During this period, all aspects of the country were geared toward furthering the country’s progress in the war. Factories were commissioned to create clothes, food and weapons for the soldiers. Transportation of these goods was mainly through the railroad system. One station involved in this endeavor, Ogden Union Station, played a major role in transporting military goods along with regular passengers and cargo. Special “troop trains” would ferry around the soldiers from town to town. The video above is a government statement from 1943 concerning troop trains and what they are used for. One interesting insight that an observer at this sight had was that the soldiers didn’t care where they were or where they were going. They were just happy to be traveling around the country. At one point during the war, a train rolled through the station every five minutes (How Trains Helped Win a War).
The photograph, Santa Fe R.R. freight train about to leave for the West Coast from Corwith yard, Chicago, Ill, is a prime example of how important the railroad business was during this time period. It was taken by Jack Delano, an American documentary photographer, in 1943 as part of the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Collection. The goal of this collection of photographs was to capture American life during the heart of World War II. This specific photograph exemplifies the argument that war isolates humans from each other, taking away their individuality, and putting an emphasis on using all possible resources to attain victory. This is evidenced through technical elements such as framing, vectors of attention, and coloration.
The framing elements in this photo really accent the importance of the success of the train’s journey. The photo is taken at an angle to show both the longevity of the train and also a short stretch of track that represents the train’s future journey. It gives a sort of “before and after” snapshot of the journey. Although this is a military train that carries mostly cargo, one would expect at least a few passengers to be present. However, none can be found which leads the viewer to wonder if there are any waiting at the train station which is not visible. The fact that no passengers, train station, or other locomotives are present creates pathos of isolation. The reason for this is to put an emphasis on the importance of this one train and how its fate has repercussions throughout the country.
The cropping element that has the biggest impact on the argument is the fact that the train towers over the men. Size plays a major role in implementing this argument. Also, the seven men are all about the same size, creating sameness. The massiveness of the locomotive is able to contrast with this sameness and stand out in the photograph. These framing elements put an emphasis on the locomotive and not the men. Pathos is evoked with the viewer expressing interest in the contents of the train, where it’s headed, and whether or not it will have a successful journey.
Vectors of attention are very prominent in this photograph and help to further the argument. There are seven men in this photo and each has a unique vector of attention that helps the audience to glean information concerning their intentions. The men are positioned sporadically and facing different directions which creates unfamiliarity between the men.
From the title we know that this train is about to the leave the station. Logically, we believe these men were loading the train and preparing it for departure. Three of these men’s vectors of attention are directed toward the right bottom corner of the photo (the tracks leading to the next destination). This presents an ethos of expectation or accomplishment since they have finished their job. The man furthest from the camera has a vector of attention aimed at the group of men gathered around the locomotive, especially the man on the far left. Concerning ethos, he seems distant and lagging creating pathos of loneliness and isolation. The man on the far left is staring at the locomotive with his whole body pointed toward it. It seems he has a connection with the locomotive; he knows how crucial it is that the train makes it to its destination and delivers the helpful cargo to the soldiers.
Finally, the last and most intriguing man is addressing his attention to the window of the locomotive where the conductor’s torso is visible! From this observation one can infer that these two men have a deeper connection than the others do. This is the only example of friendly contact in the photo, every other man seems isolated and in his own world. Since the locomotive is so gargantuan, it diminishes the significance of the conductor so in a sense the other man is addressing the locomotive as a whole and wishing it good fortune on its journey.
Through these vectors of attention one realizes that all these men have a bond with this train and what it represents. The train is more important than any of these men and represents a conglomeration of efforts from masses of people to aid soldiers in need. A wartime photograph aims to show that everyone was working for the greater good and this photograph exemplifies that through the men’s vectors of attention.
Contrasting hues play a major role in contributing to the argument in this photograph. The eye is first drawn to the black locomotive because it contrasts so drastically with the white surroundings. These two hues are exact opposites, forcing juxtaposition into the photograph. Also, the lightly saturated blue hues in the sky help make the steam from the locomotive stand out and not be immersed in the sky line. The front of the locomotive is highly saturated because it is facing away from the sun. This high saturation continues in the shadow the locomotive casts on the car on the adjacent track. This creates an overall darker feel in the right portion of the photograph, while the left (especially the upper left) is bright and has a more open feel to it. Such contrasting elements help the viewer to focus on the locomotive with no work involved at all. The photograph is designed to highlight the importance of using resources such as transportation to gain advantages in war. Therefore, a jet black locomotive surrounded by light hues creates the perfect contrast to support this argument.
Santa Fe R.R. freight train about to leave for the West Coast from Corwith yard, Chicago, Ill uses coloration via contrasting hues, varying vectors of attention, and isolating framing to signify the importance of using resources during war, which in turn takes away the individuality of the citizens involved. All these technical elements center around the locomotive and not the men. This is a monumental decision since many photographs have human as the main subject. A machine having more importance than men is congruent with war because the success of the group as a whole is more significant than the success of individuals.
Works Cited
"A WW2 Timeline." World War 2 Timelines 1939-1945. 2006. www.worldwar-2.net, Web. 17 Feb 2010.
"How Trains Helped Win a War." Utah History to Go. 2010. utah.gov, Web. 18 Feb 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment