This is one of a series of posts about how to analyze different types of primary sources.
Last week we talked about analyzing literature from World War I and World War II. This week we’re also talking about images in a time of strife, but instead of world war literature we’re going to look at Vietnam-era photographs.
Context
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, students across the nation protested against U.S. military involvement in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. Students at the University of Maryland were no different, and they made their views known on campus and in College Park. Events came to a head between 1970 and 1972, when there were a series of violent protests on campus. At three different points Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel declared a state of emergency and sent in the National Guard to restore order. During the main conflict in May 1970 (students were protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia), students vandalized buildings on campus, set fires on campus, blocked Route 1, and threw bricks, rocks, and bottles at riot police. Police responded with teargas, riot batons, and dogs. The photographs below show some of these scenes – make sure to keep the wider student protests and national opinions regarding the military conflicts in mind as you look at these local events.
Questions
Below are several photographs taken at the riots and protests on and near campus. Think about some of these questions as you look at each image:
- Who took these photographs? Were they involved in the riots?
- Who is the audience? Were these meant as personal photographs, or were they made public (e.g. – published in a newspaper, book, etc.)?
- When and where were these photographs taken?
- What was going on locally, nationally, and internationally at the time these photographs were taken?
- What is shown in the photographs – is it the whole picture? Are these photographs accurate representations of the events they depict?
[click for larger images]
Student protesters face down riot police on Route 1, University of Maryland, 1970
Police arresting two students, circa 1960-1975.
Smoky gas plume rising on Route 1 during protest, University of Maryland, May 5, 1971
Diamondback showing Disruptions on Campus, 1971
Further Research
There are many more photographs of Vietnam-era protests in Special Collections. Find more images in University AlbUM – one of our digital collections – by searching for “Vietnam protests” or “Vietnam demonstrations.” There are also several collections of photographs that have not yet been digitized – find information about those collections here.
Learn more about Vietnam-era protests on campus by using this research guide. The guide lists all of the related materials in Special Collections – documents, publications (including student publications), photographs, and more.
Want more help analyzing and understanding primary sources? You can download our Primary Source Analysis handout or take at look at our “Research Using Primary Sources” tutorial. Need help finding primary and secondary sources to analyze? We’re always happy to help – just ask us! You can also check out our website (we recommend starting your research here).
Sources
- Vietnam-Era Protest Activities on the University ofMaryland, College Park, Campus:A Selected List of Holdings in the Archives and Manuscripts Department, University ofMaryland Libraries
- Kremkau, Wesley M. Student protesters face down riot police on Route 1, University of Maryland, 1970. 1970. Photograph. Philip Geraci collection. University of Maryland Special Collections. <http://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/5404>
- Student Arrests, circa 1960-1975. C. 1960-1975. Photograph. Campus Unrest collection. University of Maryland Special Collections. <http://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/2633>
- Diamondback showing Disruptions on Campus, 1971. 1971. Photograph. UPUB S36.005. University of Maryland Special Collections. <http://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/2727>
- Smoky gas plume rising on Route 1 during protest, University of Maryland, May 5, 1971. 1971. Photograph. Campus Unrest collection. University of Maryland Special Collections. <http://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/2299>
Making this collection more accessible is the work of many hands, including volunteers and student employees. The work often begins by pulling a number of photos, organized in folders, from one of our unprocessed boxes. We collect information from both the folders and the images including the subject, first and last name, number of photos, and relevant dates [when the photographs were taken, or when the images were published in the newspaper]. All the while, the photos are moved into better, safer acid-free folders and boxes and entered into a database of processed images. Also, given the number of people who have processed this gargantuan collection, we take the time to proofread each other’s data entry work.
