Task 1 image analysis exercise.

500 Words.

The uncle sam range- image by Schumacher and Ettlinger, new york.

(Before) - image by Adrian Allinson. 

(After) - image by Adrian Allinson.

Both of these images tend to centre on very similar aspects. Firstly Cultural, they are about cultural superiority. The white races are viewed as the superior beings and the black races are viewed are the lesser man. For example in the first image “The Uncle Sam Range” advert for range stoves, is aimed at the higher-class male, and the purpose is to advertise “The Uncle Sam Range”(1876) . It shows white upper class Americans sitting around a table discussing business, with their wall, carpets and clothing covered in the American flag, and symbols of American independence around the room for example the declaration of independence hangs on the wall. They are nationalists very proud of there country, grand, powerful people. This is show in the font is large shine and gold which also demonstrates wealth. 

The image is composed so that they are the centre of it, but in the left hand corner the is a small black child, a slave, who is almost hidden away and he is doing all of the cooking in which these people are about to eat. The second image is like a before and after snap shot aimed at white British people, and its purpose to show technology brought over prosperity (1930). However it is only in the after picture that you see the effect of racism occur again. You have a tall, proud, strong white man smoking his pipe surveying all of the black slaves, who are again doing all of the work, and yet they stay hidden heads down and they look oppressed.

The social similarities within the images are that all the white men have the power and the women are absent. In the first image the woman is serving the people at the table, she is a housewife who would care about family values. The second image in the before shot the women are featured in but in the after shot they are completely absent. This would have probably fitted with the social views at the time.

Technology in these images is viewed as progress, making everyone civilised. The white uppers class Americans are almost saying look we have this stove, you should have one too, so you can be a civilised as us. And the after shot in second image is showing the effect negative effect that technology has had on the positive culture and identify the east African people had and it was destroyed. It is not bring prosperity to them only to the white British.  

Politically, each person in the image is attempting to enhance or build an empire. ‘Uncle Sam’ is enchasing the stereotypical American nationalist. Celebrating their independence, thinking America is the better country and a mockery is being made about other countries in the bill/menu the world is reading.  The second image is showing the building of an empire but it is all created by the exploitation of the slave trade. They are both propaganda images, they cover up the racism with ideals of white supremacy. This also links to the historical aspects of the image. In the time periods in which all the images where produce, it was eathier during and just after the slave trade was abolished.