Dr Emmett Sullivan +1 more instructor

Offered By

University of London

Royal Holloway, University of London

Film, Images & Historical Interpretation in the 20th Century: The Camera Never Lies

University of London

About this Course

51,528 recent views

This course is a short taster on the topic of the use of Images, Film, and their use in historical interpretation in the 20th century.  It is primarily provided for those who have a general interest in history that draws on photojournalism as primary evidence, and films based on historical events.
Once you have completed this course we hope you will be equipped to: 

Appreciate the significance of photographs as historical evidence in the twentieth century.
Understand the limitations of the medium, and how we can attribute meaning to these individual records of 'one moment in time' while taking into account the circumstances in which any particular image was taken.
Understand how individuals and institutions have looked to manipulate images to their own ends – through alteration and/or censorship – and what that meant to contemporary interpretation, as well as subsequent historical interpretation.
Put individual images into a wider context, and in particular with reference to history written, or portrayed, beyond academia: public history. 


Do be aware that part of the contents of this course regard images and depiction of war.  Real wars and real images.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Chinese (Simplified), Italian, Vietnamese, Korean, German, Russian, Turkish, English, Spanish

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.84/5 (49 Ratings)

Dr Emmett Sullivan

Senior Tutor

History Department, Royal Holloway, University of London

26,285 Learners

2 Courses

Dilara Scholz

Tutor

Department of History

23,668 Learners

1 Course

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Chinese (Simplified), Italian, Vietnamese, Korean, German, Russian, Turkish, English, Spanish

Offered by

University of London

The University of London is a federal University which includes 18 world leading Colleges. Our distance learning programmes were founded in 1858 and have enriched the lives of thousands of students, delivering high quality University of London degrees wherever our students are across the globe. Our alumni include 7 Nobel Prize winners. Today, we are a global leader in distance and flexible study, offering degree programmes to over 50,000 students in over 180 countries. To find out more about studying for one of our degrees where you are, visit www.london.ac.uk

Royal Holloway, University of London

Royal Holloway, University of London, is ranked in the top 30 universities in the UK (Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2018) and the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2017-18).

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(6,040 ratings)

Week

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Introduction

We will explore the issues associated with the use of images as a source for historical research and consider a number of examples where image manipulation has been uncovered

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 40 min), 8 readings, 1 quiz

7 videos

Introduction42s

Use of Images7m

Manipulation2m

The Image in Politics5m

Advertising5m

Reportage (Reporting the News)4m

Optional Extra Material - other forms of images - Guernica14m

8 readings

The Camera Never Lies - Course Information10m

Aims and Objectives10m

The Use of Images10m

Manipulation10m

The Image in Politics10m

Advertising10m

Reportage10m

Optional Extra Information - Guernica10m

1 practice exercise

Week 1 Quiz30m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Images and History in the Twentieth Century

We will review a number of cases studies where images have either shaped our opinion of events or have been suppressed from the public at the time, to avoid adverse or negative reaction.

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 54 min), 6 readings, 1 quiz

8 videos

Introduction part 14m

Hitler8m

The Boer War2m

The Civil Rights Movement4m

Vietnam7m

The Blitz part 16m

The Blitz part 29m

Optional Extra Material - The London Riots 201110m

6 readings

Adolf Hitler10m

The Boer War10m

The US Civil Rights Movement10m

Vietnam10m

The Blitz10m

Optional Extra Reading - The London Riots 201110m

1 practice exercise

Week 2 Quiz30m

Week

Week 3

3 hours to complete

The Air-Brushing of History: Stalin and Falsification

The cause célèbre' of historical manipulation - Joseph Stalin. The 'air brushing' of historical records, and in this case the literal airbrushing of Soviet images in the 1930s and 1940s

3 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 104 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz

10 videos

Introduction7m

The Soviet Union13m

Soviet Union under Stalin7m

The Image as Propaganda16m

Falsification13m

Conclusion4m

Optional Extra Material - Films with historical themes8m

Optional Extra Material: Film - The Damned United11m

Optional Extra Material: Film - In the Name of the Father9m

Optional Extra Material: Final Thoughts11m

4 readings

Introduction10m

The Soviet and Stalin Lectures10m

Falsification10m

Optional Extra Material: Films with historical themes10m

1 practice exercise

Week 3 Quiz30m

Week

Week 4

6 hours to complete

Photojournalism, Authenticity and Matters of Public Acceptability: The Battle of Mogadishu

With respect to Reportage and the use of images as a evidential record, should we condemn Stalin in the last 20th and early 21th century? We use an example from 1993 to illustrate this point.

6 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 105 min), 11 readings, 2 quizzes

12 videos

Introduction5m

Death of Margaret Thatcher7m

Black Hawk Down7m

The Day of the Ranger: Aftermath7m

Black Hawk Down and 9/11 Media Reportage4m

Black Hawk Down - The Website7m

The Image17m

Interview10m

UN and the USA in Somalia: Historical Context7m

The Somalian Civil War: Historical Context8m

Optional Extra Material - Interview with Niko: Real-Time Editorial Decision – The Boston Marathon Bombing12m

Optional Extra Material - Image in the Context of Gender Studies8m

11 readings

Introduction Information - Photojournalism, Authenticity and Matters of Public Acceptability: The Battle of Mogadishu10m

Death of Margaret Thatcher - Information10m

Black Hawk Down – Information10m

The Day of the Ranger: Aftermath - Information10m

Media Reportage - Images and information10m

Black Hawk Down: The Website - Information10m

The Image - Information10m

Interview - Information10m

The UN and the USA in Somalia: Historical Context10m

The Somalian Civil War: Historical Context - Information10m

Optional Extra Reading: Interview with Niko: Real-Time Editorial Decision: The Boston Marathon Bombing - Information10m

1 practice exercise

Week 4 Quiz30m

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You’ll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. Learn more.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Film, Images & Historical Interpretation in the 20th Century: The Camera Never Lies

Film, Images & Historical Interpretation in the 20th Century: The Camera Never Lies