Media Literacy Exercise: Essay

The first image is "Refrigerator" by Martin Johnson and Osa Johnson in 1920. In this picture, the woman presents the tray of ice to the two apparently ‘native men on the left. Both the woman and the two men appear to have a slight smiles, and the photo is well lit. The setting appears to be in a storage shed of some kind, with exposed wood shelves with stacks of canned goods on it. The woman appears to have her legs leaning backwards as her torso leans forward, and she is only connected to the two men by the tray of ice. The woman costume covers most of her skin, while the men are almost entirely naked.

These gestures seem to suggest that woman is trying to be friendly, but is still cautious on a deeper level. It is as though she is pulling her waist backwards while interacting with the men, suggesting the non-sexual relationship between them. Their different costume’s suggest the men’s ‘physical and passionate’ nature, a normal stereotype of ‘non-white’ people ("America on Film by Benshoff and Griffin, pg53), a trait that seems to be ‘kept in check’ by the woman’s non-sexual appearance. The smiles and interest in the ice tray suggest the men acceptance of the technology the woman possesses, further suggesting the idea of the ‘benign white benefactor’. Behind them is the monolithic white refrigerator, suggesting the dominance of ‘whiteness’. It is similar to a mother and children, suggesting the simplicity of the men.

Overall, the photo suggests the convinence and plenty provided by the cultural development and intelligence as well as the ‘pure-intention’ of ‘white people’. It places this with unspecified ‘native people’ to show that the spread of white dominance is for the well-being of the ‘lesser’ people.

The second image is "As We Found Them" by Peregrine F. Cooper in 1864. The two photographs are set side by side for comparison, but contain the same figures. In both, a young boy and girl appear posing on a small prop. Both children are black, but the similarity between the two photographs end there. In the ‘left’ picture, they appear in rags. A length of small rope or twine can be seen across the boy chest, suggesting he is carrying something. He stands casually with an arm resting on the rail of the prop and a bent leg. The girl has her arm loosely around the boy’s arm, but doesn’t grip with her hand. She appears to have her weight on her right foot, with the left just barely hanging over the edge of the prop. The lighting is dim compared to the photo on the right, and appears to be slightly more zoomed in as well (apparent if one notices the amount of empty space above their heads). The children appear primarily in focus, and the wall pattern behind them is quite out of focus (but is possibly a landscape).

These gestures seem to suggest that the ‘blackness’ of the children is the primary subject matter of the photograph. The lighting produces darker shadows, and the bright clothing appears in high contrast to their dark skin, making it appear even darker. Their poses suggest an nrefined quality to their character, standing casually next to the prop ‘classical-Greek-style’ post.

In the ‘right’ picture, the two appear in sharp refined clothing, suggesting a change in the overall nrefined characteristic they appear to possess in the picture on the ‘left’. They stand more ‘properly’, with both of the boy’s feet on the ground and the girl on balanced footing and with her hand securely on the boy’s arm. This seems to suggest an overall better ‘stability’ in their lives when compared to the picture on the left. The lighting is more intense, producing greater highlights on the children faces. This seems to ‘whiten’ them in a way, with less of their skin appearing black. They also appear less pronounced from the background with their change in clothing, alluding to the ‘invisibility’ of whiteness referred to in "On the Matter of Whiteness" by Richard Dyer. The frame is pulled back farther slightly giving a wider field of view, suggesting a ‘broadened horizon’ for the children. The background is also in focus now, appearing like a detailed pattern on a door or a piece of fabric on the wall. The change in ‘location’ from outside to inside further suggests the overall refinement of the children.

The two photos appear to suggest the refinement of the children and suggests that they have been rought up to the sophistication of white society. This is further reinforced by the titles "As We Found Them" and "As They Are Now" for the left and right photos respectively.

Comparing the two images, there is a clear idea of the ‘benign’ nature of whiteness. They show other ‘races’ as being less civilized, and the need for ‘white people’ to take care of them and show them the ‘better’ way. The idea that the children are ‘better’ people on the ‘right’ compared to themselves on the ‘left’ suggest that white culture is better. The "Refrigerator" image suggests that these ‘lesser’ cultures are accepting of this change and dominance. These seem to suggest that the dominance of ‘whiteness’ is both nature and needs to be spread, and that doing so is an act of kindness. Whether or not these images and the actions they represent were taken/performed solely for these reasons is unknown, but could simply be a justification for the actions taken.