Image Analysis Exercise - Notes

IMAGE 1

• Different countries, food, serving, slave trade, patriotism, garnished colours. The globe/countries shown on it represents the TRADE
• Uncle Sam - symbolic personification of fathering - same first letter of United States
• This is an advert for the RANGE cooker - peculiar advert as it doesn't sell the cooker for it's merits, it just demonstrates the brilliance of the US and that America is better than the other countries. 
• Commodities - shown through the aspirational lifestyle - the advert shows that if you purchase this cooker you will have a better quality of life/idealised lifestyle
• American attitude to the rest of the world - it demonstrates that they are more important.
• The Globe also represents the other countries of the world and that they have come to dine with the US e.g. that America is feeding the rest of the world. 
• Strange food provided to the other countries - Chinese figures are eating a birds nest
• advert shows SUPERIORITY
• Buildings in the background - makes a reference as at the time there was a big exhibition showing which celebrated 100 years of Americas Greatness - NATIONALISM
• The Eagle is the symbol of American freedom - it sits by the table
• The TYPOGRAPHY - not a contemporary style of font, makes you think of the early USA - bold and also type is in gold. 
• Colours - all from the American flag (red, blue and white) as well as the decoration which is stars and stripes - shows the glory of America. The curtians actually are the American flag - bright primary colours which stand out, not a realistic use of colours
• The advert attempts to tap into the spirit of American Triumph
• Prosperous house - idealised lifestyle, buying into the dream that America is better than anyone else and trying to represent that the US has surpassed all other countries.
• COUNTRIES = Dixi (S. America), West = land of the free and home of the brave, England - newly developing, not as great US

IMAGE 2 

• Clearer image. Shows 3 images - 2 children and a male adult figure who looks at the viewer 
• The son is playing with toy soldiers on the floor not looking at the viewer while the daughter looks at her father.
• TEXT - italic, bold, friendly and ironic considering the question being posed. Italics - makes is more of a softer way of speaking. YOU - relevant, direct, underlined and in caps. 
• The poster is an attempt to show the idea of national greatness and saying 'go to war otherwise in the future you will not have anything to talk about with your children. 
• It is a propaganda poster for CONSCRIPTION - guilt trip/emotional manipulation to make men sign up.
• It also promotes the idea that even after the war the country and all its men will be ok - it implies that there will be no loss as the poster talks about the future and children - says that they will win the war and that men should join as the war will go down in history - 'great war'
• SYMBOLISM - flowers on the chair - men have a duty to queen and country to do this. The clothes are the uniform of the guards outside the palace
• The father looks worried after his daughter has just asked the question, he turns away from her. 
• 'The GREAT War' - will be written  in books - you can't miss a chance to go down in history. 
• Child playing with soliders - suggests that if he was old enough he would want to go and join the war - he is challenging his father. 

Both images romanticise national identity. The second image is a less aggressive nationalist propaganda poster while the first image is a Nationalist advert which promotes and celebrates Americas greatness.