Diana Mara Henry Visit

by HW - Thursday, April 17, 2014, 2:52 PM

I have always been interested in photography so I was excited to know that Diana Henry was coming in to speak of the photographs she had taken during the Women's Rights Movement. I thought the lecture was interesting but she moved very quickly which made it difficult to really take in the huge impact of the events she photographed. Overall, I thought her lecture was great because she described her experiences during the time in history that we are learning about so I was able to make deeper connections. I especially liked the photos she took of women actively protesting because they showed the emotion and passion those women had. The pictures had more impact than only reading about the issue. This is why I feel photography can be used as a political tool because it is visual rather than written literature which can make a bigger impact on the viewers.

Diana Mara Henry

by SW - Thursday, April 17, 2014, 2:36 PM

My initial reflections of the lecture was how amazing it was that this woman was so dedicated to her photography. She really wanted to capture these movements. She mentioned that photography is something that is even more appreciated with time in which she shows this in her photography. Her experience was behind a lens, telling stories through her photography. I think it was great how she made it a point to find out the people in her photos names, making sure they were recognized. 

Diana Henry

by M M - Wednesday, April 16, 2014, 9:39 PM

My initial reflection on Henry's lecture was that Henry was a very experienced woman.  Although it was difficult for her to say everything she wanted to in a 50 minute lecture class, the presentation was enjoyable nonetheless.  Her experience compares to the textbook readings on the Second Wave women's movement because her experiences line up with what was going on during those time periods.  In general, photography can be used as a political tool by trying to elicit a certain reaction by its viewers.  One example is using poverty to generate compassion from the picture's viewers, and through that compassion change can be made.

Diana Henry

by JR - Wednesday, April 16, 2014, 7:45 PM

Diana Mara Henry's lecture was very eye opening and engaging. Hearing her perspective on the movement and protest was very unique because she was behind a camera the whole time documenting it. Her pictures portrayed great aspects of the movement and captured all sorts of emotion. Getting informed by someone who was actually there themselves it very different than reading about it. It makes it a lot more interesting and relevant because you see this women in present day who also lived through the times of all this change. Diana was an interesting woman and I can guess it has something to do with the growth and evolvement of today's society. She seemed very pleased and proud of the success that she has seen over time and assured us is it not over. It was reassuring to hear that someone who has already made a change is certain change is still to come.

Photographs are a great tool for politics because they can be used to help promote people and movements. Diana photographed many women running for office and heads of campaigns to increase their publicity and votes from communities. 

Diana Mara Henry

by S S - Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 7:38 PM

I thought it was interesting that Ms. Henry did not start out trying to be a photographer of women's history, but that her career just happened to take her down that path and result in such stunning work.    The textbook is often a look at an event from an insider's perspective, while Ms. Henry is able to get perhaps a wider look at a historical even because she is coming from the perspective primarily of a journalist instead of an activist.  Thus, photography can be used as a political tool by showing more people around the world the ways in which other women are living their lives or being oppressed, thus inspiring a new set of feminists to continue on with the movement.

Week 12 Discussion

by A O - Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 12:37 AM

I thought the pictures she showed and discussed helped bring the event we've learned about to life. It's one thing to learn about events and to be shown pictures, but the fact that the actual photographer was giving us background info, point out and discuss the women we have been learning about in the images she took gave a new perspective to the photos. Photography is able to capture a moment, and can be shared with millions of people. When we see photographs we interpret what is happening in the image and the message the photographer intends to convey in our own way. I think this allows photography to be used as a political tool. By sharing images and showing people what events or situations taking place around the world and allowing them to make their own connections and attach their personal view of its significance to it. 

Week 12 Discussion

by L C - Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 12:19 AM

I found her lecture both personal and informative because along with the history that a textbook or any secondary source may have, she was able to add personal commentary and recounts illustrated through her photographs about the people and experience at the event she was shooting. I believe she moderated her experience and made her shared experience more about the content of her photographs than about herself and her role at each event. She definitely mentioned her appreciation to be able to work and shoot at the events she gave us a glimpse at but she did not talk about her role as a pivotal part of the history as the textbook may have.
Photography during the Second Wave, unlike many other political tools are harder to alter, in terms of its authenticity. It gives the viewer a very genuine depiction of an event and into the passion and strength of the people behind the movement. It is a very unique form of communication and most life like form of depiction of an event.

Diana Mara Henry

by HU - Monday, April 14, 2014, 10:05 PM

It was very special that Henry shared her experience with us, so we had a chance to see what changed from past to now. In the second wave movement, I learned that women talked about problems from a women's experience, not a male's perspective. Henry did the same thing, and she gave her perspective as a woman. Her great pictures was a prove. She explained us about her photographs, but I think her photographs most powerful than words. She used perfectly her photographs as a political tool.

Discussion

by M S - Monday, April 14, 2014, 8:34 PM

Henry was a pleasure to listen to in class. You can tell she takes a lot of pride in her work. Henry's photos were very inclusive of all types of women which was refreshing to observe. It certainly tied into what we have been learning about in class: women's rights activists and their struggles. 

Photographs are an incredible political tool. Not just that, but a remarkable way to communicate in general. A picture can tell the story that you aren't willing to sit down and read. It can give a whole new meaning to a  text you've read a million times. It gives a visual and new sense that heightens one's emotional connection to the story being told. It adds realness to the history which is, sometimes, a very hard thing to do. 

Discussion

by J S - Monday, April 14, 2014, 4:42 PM

My initial thoughts on Henry's presentation of her photography were positive. I thought her art was beautiful and captured a lot of important people and moments in women's history. However, as time went on I noticed her lecture turn to promotion of her own photographs. She seemed to brag a little too much about how great her photos were. I am not saying her art was not brilliant and special, because it absolutely was. I was just turned off by the way she presented herself and her art to the class. 

I thought her experiences related to a lot of what we have been talking about in class. Henry talked about meeting and taking photographs of some famous, well - known women's rights activists of the time. It was interesting to see the readings and textbook stories come to life in photographs as a women's true experience of it was being told.

I most definitely believe that photography can and is used as a political tool. Along with many other arts forms such as theater and dance, photography is a different way of looking at issues of the world, and forces people to view things with a more open, curious mind.   

Discussion: Week 12

by C G - Monday, April 14, 2014, 4:02 PM

1. My initial reflections regarding the lecture given by Diana Henry were that her pictures were stunning, and I respected the fact that they showcased more so the accomplishments and progress surrounding the Women Rights Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, as oppose to struggles, conflict, and regression. I didn't note any photographs that depicted opposition, nor did I see any photos that seemed to exclude a particular group of women - rather, Henry's photographs showed triumphant women of all ages and races, be they standing proudly at the podium during the First National Women's Conference, or protesting in the streets for the equality of single women,  lesbian women, married women, etc.

2.  Though as previously said, I commend Henry's approach to focus on the positive and progressive aspects of the Women Rights Movement in her photography, I believe her experience compares to our readings in the textbook by glossing over the struggles women still faced during this push for change.  One of the main topics addressed in our readings for these past few weeks, has been based on the on-going debate regarding a woman's control over her own body, be it through the right to obtain contraception,  the right to an abortion,  etc. (Margaret Sanger's piece, Leslie Reagan's piece, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey 1992).  I did not see any such discourse captured in Henry's photographs.  What's more is when I mentioned above that I noted an inclusion of lesbian women, I was referring to only one photograph I saw;  I could barely make out a half-cropped out sign that looked like it included the word "Lesbian" on it.  With that being said,  I wonder about the grittier aspects of the movement;  I believe Henry's experience compares to some of the women in our readings in the sense that she was a storyteller as well as a woman during this time - unlike many, she had a say in how the history of the movement would be documented.

3. As I began to allude to in my response to question 2,  I absolutely believe photography can be used as a political tool. As the saying goes,  "A picture is worth a thousand words;"   for individuals who may not have access to many newspapers or books,  or for others who simply don't have the time (or patience) to read through/sit through the daily news,  a single photograph can capture the entire essence of an event, a movement, or an individual.  Photography provides visual aids, a context for the thousands of documents, speeches, articles, and novels produced during such-and-such a time,  while such-and-such was going on.  Photography is easily accessible to nearly everyone in the world - you can nearly always pick up on the tone, situation, etc.  within a photo,  whereas documents and televised news reports may leave some feeling confused, or suspicious of bias.  A picture can't lie to you, or distort the truth - a photograph is what it is.

Diana Mara Henry

by CS - Monday, April 14, 2014, 3:16 PM

I thought it was really interesting to see Diana Maura Henry’s lecture last week, especially seeing how women and men interacted with one another during that time period. Diana said she liked to focus on “Who touches whom” so I tried to keep an eye out for the answer to that question while viewing the photos. I think that her photos are different from the primary sources of the Second Wave feminist movement readings because we were able to see how the women were reacting to the things of importance in their country. For example, in the photos of the Women’s pentagon Action in 1980, we saw the women full of passion in fighting for what they believed, which was anti-war and pro-environment. I think photography can be used as a political tool because it gets the point across rather quickly to the viewers. Seeing the photos last week was a great tool to understand the feelings of the women of that time period.

Henry lecture

by M N- Monday, April 14, 2014, 12:03 PM

I enjoyed hearing the story of the women behind the camera-- I wish the slide show would have been on "manual" and not "slide show" so we could have gotten a better look at the images.  

Her experience seemed to be synonymous with what we had studied in class and the book.  The images that stuck out most to me were those from the equal rights campaign and the prostrates of influential leaders.  The pictures of the marchers, banners, and signs were powerful.

Photography is one of the most powerful forms of social media.  A photograph has the potential to capture emotion especially of people.  "a picture is worth a thousand words" or many more than that.  A photograph is a snapshot of time and the viewer can spend minutes to hours absorbing its detail and meaning.  The most powerful images are burned into the minds of their observers and can unify a group of people for a common goal. A Photograph can spark a revolution.  They are also the few windows into the past we have to let us know these events actually happened-- sometimes it can be hard to believe.  For these reasons photography can be used as a very effective tool to promote political action and change.

Diana Mara Henry discussion

by H B - Monday, April 14, 2014, 11:25 AM

I think that while primary resources are imperative and can give you insight about the time period being written about, pictures are an invaluable artifact of time that allow you to transport yourself visually into the event or moment in time. Through these pictures it became much clearer to me through facial expressions and powerful movements just how passionate these women were about what they were fighting for at the time. I don't believe that reading any article could come close to comparing to the experience of looking through the pictures provided to us by Diana Mara Henry.

Henry lecture

by B R - Monday, April 14, 2014, 8:00 AM

It was a very inspiring lecture and Henry was very funny! She really helped to make real the events she was involved in. The photos and her story bring to life the stories we read in the textbook. It was a great way to better engage with the material. Photography can be a political tool because it can be interpreted by the viewer in many ways besides how it is described. The photo can speak for itself in a way. Photography can also be used as propoganda as a photographer selectively chooses a scene or manipulates it. For example the Jane Fonda photo at the Vietnamese antinaircraft plant. The photographer interacts with the setting and their biased view is imbedded in the photo, which can be A dangerous political tool.

Henry Lecture

by S L- Sunday, April 13, 2014, 11:11 PM

I thought Diana Mara Henry’s photography were amazing. I was very impressed on how she was hired as a photographer for the National Women’s Conference in 1977.  Henry’s photos are really worth a thousand words. I believe through her photos you could relate and learn more of the Second Wave movement. Her photos were able to show the emotion, more than a story in a book would. Photography can be used as a political tool as a way to document history. By documenting history, one is able to learn from the past to improve the future. In addition, politicians use photography for their campaign. They use it to attract people to vote for them or talk negatively about their opponent. 

Henry Lecture

by MG - Sunday, April 13, 2014, 10:43 PM

I really enjoyed Diana Henry's lecture because it was a first hand account. She was able to offer a personal story to go with the Women's Rights Movement in a way that books and facts cannot capture.Talking to someone instead of just reading accounts provides a lot more detail and allows the audience to connect with the history. Instead of just a story in a textbook, she is a real person that lived through what we are studying. Her photography is very impressive and provides visuals to accompany the stories of the 60s and 70s. Photography has the ability to freeze a moment and grip viewers. They say that  a picture is worth a thousand words and I believe that is true. Every picture offers a look into the past. Henry's pictures have the ability to trigger peoples emotions. All good photography tells a story and that is why it is so powerful in politics. It has the ability to influence how people view different subjects.

Diana Mara Henry

by LL P - Sunday, April 13, 2014, 9:03 PM

My initial reaction to Diana Henry's lecture is admiration and excitement.  After spending so much time reading and leaning about the triumphs and trials of women throughout history it is truly amazing to be able to listen to someone who experienced it first hand. Photography is a powerful politic tool because it allows a whole new emotional spin to things. With photos one is able to show others what happened rather than just explaining. Words can be emotional,  but pictures really do strike the heart strings deeper than words can in many instances. 

Diana Mara Henry Lecture

by SM - Sunday, April 13, 2014, 11:55 AM

My initial reflections of the lecture given by Henry were that it was amazing that she got to participate so closely within the movement and show a different side to the leaders and participants of the movement through her photographs. While her experience is like the experience of women who participated in the Second Wave women's movement that we've read in the textbook, it was much more fulfilling to hear her experiences firsthand to truly grasp what it was like to be involved in the movement. She also played a different role than other women in the movement who used their voices to inspire others because she did that through her photographs which had a huge impact on people then and today. Photography can be used as a political tool because pictures can affect people in an enormous way and if you take the right photograph that accurately portrays the message of a political movement, you can reach so many people that way. I really appreciated that Diana Mara Henry came in to talk to us and I was inspired by the photographs she took that continue to change the way people see the world around them.

Diana Henry

by Debora - Friday, April 11, 2014, 12:57 PM

I felt very excited and privileged to have been able to listen to Diana Henry recount her experiences to us. 

My initial reflections of the lecture given by Henry are that she was very involved in the movement. She was able to experience, witness, and partake in several monumental events, conferences, and protests. She as able to meet very influential women and even become one herself! I believe that her photography is a powerful political and historical tool because her pictures tell the story of the activists, the issues, the times and places of important events. It helps students of our generation get a feel for the movement in the 60s and 70s. It helps us compare and contrast the present to the past. Her experiences compare to the women in our readings because she is now telling the story of the issues and activists and the politics involved with the time, versus writing and arguing her points of view. 

Henry Lecture

by Nicole - Thursday, April 10, 2014, 8:49 PM

I really liked her passion for the topic. When she started on talking about her life I really appreciated how she chose to take a different route of a lecture than the facts and simply explaining her photographs. She really took the time to set the scene for what was going on. Her experience was more realistic than the textbooks. Some of those readings are edited and have more of a secondary perspective. Henry was really cool walking us through what was going on. It was fascinating to hear her personal accounts and hear her speak like a real person rather than a text. It was cool to hear her stories. Although I enjoyed hearing her personal accounts, the photography was also a great aspect. Photographs have the power to evoke emotion out of people and they leave room for personal explanation. I think photographs are a better way to "inspire" thoughts in a person because they are that persons own thoughts. For example, in a newspaper tells readers how to analyze information and, in a way, what to think. Pictures leave room for interpretation but can lead viewers to think certain things based on the content.

Diana Mara Henry

by Elise - Thursday, April 10, 2014, 8:08 PM

I was initially really impressed by how well her photographs seemed to capture the emotion of a moment.  Her use of movement and light to her advantage were fascinating, and I found myself very much in awe of the work of political or professional photographers.  I feel like anyone who is able to get paid to be a photographer in this arena is very lucky, because they are able to meet so many people and experience so many different areas of life and so many different groundbreaking moments.  I feel like photography can be used as a political tool because it humanizes history.  It puts faces on movements, and it can capture the emotions that fuel them.  It takes one person's perspective of the world and publicizes it so that everyone can see through their eyes.  I thought that what she said about many women not considering what they were doing to be "history" very interesting.  Photography has an amazing ability to expose beauty or significance in something that the subject never would have seen themselves, and I feel as though that can be compared to the way that history is made.  When "history" is happening, the people involved with it are rarely conscious of "making history."  I feel like, when we read the articles about the Second Wave women's movement, the women talked about seemed like they knew they were "making history," but I think Diana Mara Henry's photography complicates our understanding of how movements take place.

Diana Henry

by Christopher - Thursday, April 10, 2014, 7:15 PM

The lecture given by Diana Mara Henry was very interesting and eye opening. I really liked the photographs in her presentation and the historic connections she made with the feminist movement during the 1960s and 1970s. Photographs like these shape our understanding of historic events such as the first National Women's Conference. To be honest, I've never seen these peoples faces and it was nice that I actually got to. It really helped my understanding of the topic. Henry's experience intertwines with the Second Wave women's movement, such as the Lesbian movement. Her photographs in newspapers and magazines has influenced our thinking on these topics. The photographs, in my opinion, can be described as positive propaganda and has set the tone for the Women's movement.

Diana Mara Henry

by Timothy - Thursday, April 10, 2014, 11:22 AM

I thought Diana Henry's lecture was an amazing way to tie in the material from class to something tangible. Being able to see and hear from a person who was not only alive at the time of the Second Wave women's movement, but very active in said movement, provided a glimpse into the time period itself and into the faces of the people affected at the time.

Her experience was more intimate than the readings from the textbook for the most part. She lived and breathed during those times and stood before us while giving her perspective and showing her works.

Photography is useful in being able to immediately convey a subject to a viewer. In media especially, photography has the power to put people right in the setting and gives for a deeper connection between the viewer and the subject. In the Second Wave women's movement, this allowed people to see and understand what was actually being done.

Diana Mara Henry

by Hannah - Thursday, April 10, 2014, 10:45 AM

I think that Diana Mara Henry was a wonderful guest to have come speak to our class. Her whole lecture really kept my attention and it was great to hear history from someone who actually lived it. I love the little post cards she let us keep too. Over all, I really enjoyed having her explain her experience with second wave feminism and how she used photography to make a difference.

During the time she photographed, so much second wave feminism activism was going on. It was great being able to see the women of the time getting excited about these causes. She was able to describe the time when the photograph was taken which is much better that reading it from a text book.

When people look at photography, and see the people featured in them, I think it makes a much bigger impact. People can see faces and match names to those faces. Photography is much more personal and has more of an impact on its audience, in my opinion. 

Diana Mara Henry

by Devan - Thursday, April 10, 2014, 12:11 AM

Diana Mara Henry's lecture was extremely interesting as it provided an opportunity to bring the sometimes the abstract events of the past into reality. It was inspiring to see a woman who was involved and surrounded by such important movements and to have it captured so beautifully. Her experience was empowering, but also stronger in some ways than the textbook readings because it was more real. Photography can be used as a political tool because it is a way to present information to the public, whether it is in how one chooses to present themselves or how the photographer wants it to be shown. By taking images of women protesting, Henry contributed to the women's movement by spreading the message and awareness about the cause. Furthermore, Henry was also able to shoot her own messages by observing people, for example shots taken to study "who touches who" and to point out absurd objectification such as the shot of a pinup woman in a butcher shop. 

Diana Mara Henry

by Molly - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 11:34 PM

Diana Mara Henry has had an extremely exciting and interesting life and we are very fortunate that we heard her speak. She was a part of so many important moments in history while capturing them with her photography. She was a great guest speaker and her love for her job as a photographer showed through her stories. I especially thought it was great that over the years she has tracked down many of the women in her photos that were unknown for so many years. Her photos were used to capture historic moments, which I believe is often forgotten today. They were used to make a political statement and portray and document the women’s movement. These photos have been used since in magazines and newspapers to expose what these women were fighting for.

Diana Mara Henry

by Danielle - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 10:41 PM

I found the lecture to be extremely interesting and I thought that she was a great guest speaker for the topic being covered. It was very easy to understand what was going on during that time through her photographs. She made it easy understand the women's rights movement and what they were going through. The narration of her photographs were also a great contribution to the lecture that definitely enhanced my understanding.

The readings from the book really go along well with her photographs, giving context and visual portrayal. Reading the stories from this time in history gives a good explanation, but being able to see the pictures really helped to put it all together.

Photographs help to show history and previous events, allowing people to use it as a way of gaining awareness and campaigning. Documenting events and then using it as propaganda gives people a real-life portrayal of what is going on and can help gain popularity among the people.

Diana Mara Henry

by Annie - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 10:27 PM

The lecture given by Diana Mara Henry was very intriguing. Anyone in the audience could tell that she had a lot of passion about her work and the photos she took following the women's movement in the 60s and 70s and it was definitely interesting to see that passion and hear her first hand account stories. The experiences she talked about brought an inside look into the stories we have only read and heard about through lectures, now we got to hear stories from someone that was actually there and saw things first hand and that was very special. Photography is an interesting tool, especially in politics, as photographs catch things as they are. You can't hide things from a candid photograph, they truly catch the moment and the emotion being expressed in that exact time by everyone involved. 

Diana Mara Henry

by Rebecca - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 5:37 PM

My initial reactions to the lecture given by Henry was that she was indeed very passionate about the photography that she did on the Women's rights Movement in the 1960's and 1970's. I felt that the lecture was a bit rushed because she was actually trying to get through so many photographs that she could not spend too much time on each photograph to fully explain it. Regardless, I think that seeing real photographs from this time period in comparison to just reading about it makes everything seem more real and unbiased. I think photography is a very strong political tool because like they say: a picture is worth a thousand words, so each picture is worth so much more than a biased news article. 

Diana Mara Henry

by Divya - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 4:42 PM

The lecture given by Diana Mara Henry was very interesting. It allowed me to view the feminist movement in another perspective.  I am more of a visual learner, so the photographs that she had brought we were thought provoking.  I loved how she made historical connections with each of the pictures. I was surprised to see how involved she was in photography and the people.  I was happy to be able to match faces with the names of the people we are reading about.  The pictures that she had taken help us view the Second wave a lot better.  Overall I think photographs of different eras will help people now and in the future to have a better understanding of what people went through. 

Diana Mara Henry

by Adria - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 4:27 PM

Right before I got to class on Tuesday I had been looking through my friends' photos of his trip to India. There were so many moments that he captured of the life for the people of India that made me want to get involved with cleaning up the streets there or help in some way. Photographs seem to have that power over people. You could rant and lecture someone for hours about a cause you're passionate about and get nowhere, but photos draw people in. It's hard to look at a picture, which is unarguable proof of something, and deny what it's telling you. So when there is a political cause that someone is trying to bring to light one of the most influential tools they can use is a photograph. It can reveal events that are difficult to describe, or that people just don't believe. 

I enjoyed her presentation, even though it was revolved mainly around Ms.Henry. I thought that her photos captured the energy of the time and helped to portray personal connections and activism. My favorite quote from her is when she said that when she took her photos she tried to "make them a window instead of a mirror." Meaning that instead of reflecting herself into her photos she tried to capture the moment and her subjects emotion. I wished she had talked more about certain events, which would have been more possible if she had just included less photos and talked about the more important ones for more time. Overall though she was fascinating, and I think that she definitely gave me a great anecdote to what we've been learning in the textbook.

Diana Mara Henry

by Emily - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 3:04 PM

When reflecting on the lecture given by Henry, I think about her first feminist photograph. The picture was of a butcher staring at a piece of meat and next to the meat was a photograph of a woman with lines on her with labels for the parts of meat. Henry stated that she enjoys photographing different situations that would get the people thinking about the message that they are giving across. When talking about this photograph, she stated that she hoped that putting meat next to the picture that was hanging on his wall, would make him realize the poor message that given by the photograph and would take it down. When she said this, she showed that she views pictures in a way that could change lives.

When comparing her experiences to the readings, she seemed more passionate when talking about the events that took place during the second wave movement because she was lucky enough to be the hired photographer for the events. It is one thing reading about the Second Wave movement, than looking at pictures and hearing someone talk about their experience in the movement. I believe that her lecture was more impactful than reading about it in the book. 

Photography was an important aspect when it comes to politics. It was very difficult at the time for articles to be written about women, or articles written by women. By placing one photograph in a newspaper, at the time stated a million words. It was easier for people to get photographs in papers than getting a page article. 

Diana Mara Henry

by Jack - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 2:19 PM

I always love guest speakers in lectures and Diana Mara Henry was definitely no exception. We've been reading so many articles and seeing so many pictures from this era, and having someone come in and show us what she actually witnessed and documented in that time is very interesting to see. It brings the content to life in a way, gives us a closer feeling, and makes the stuff we're learning about more realistic. She's able to give us stories behind her photographs from memory directly from experience. The thing with photography is you can capture so much emotion in one picture and actually sway one's political opinion. Not to mention a good caption to a powerful picture can give it much more meaning. I mean think about it, the press has such a huge influence on politics, people thrive off of things the press releases.

Diana Mara Henry

by Carly - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 1:15 PM

My reflections on Diana's visit to our class was how passionate she is about all her accomplishments. She wanted to share her pride with the class and make us more passionated and driven about something just as she was about her photos. i loved that she took us through a timeline of her life and how she got into photography, it really made us see first hand her journey through all the social movements we read about in class. I found it interesting that she enjoyed photographing politics the most. Sometimes I think our generation views photography as only beautiful works of art and we don't necessarily view pictures of political people art, but it opened my eyes to see the beauty in it all. It can be used as a political tool to of course show the media the faces of the women in politics, it can also document all the powerful movements that took place to get to the place we are today.

Diana Mara Henry

by Matthew - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 1:00 PM

Personally, I loved her presentation; she was genuine, clearly interested in her field, and her photos were interesting. My initial thought was admirement at her work and what she had experienced living through a time that is often described as something similar to a historical roller-coaster. We often make reference to 60's America whenever liberalism or reform or civil rights is mentioned, and because photography was a rising art at the time our historical imaginations are spurred. The evidence in the photos give us a deeper connection to what actually went on, a feeling that cannot be had when discussing the Middle Ages or Ancient Greece and the like. They tell a much deeper story than can any written primary source. 

Diana Mara Henry

by Leah - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 12:45 PM

I enjoyed Diana Mara Henry's lecture that she gave to the class. It was a great opportunity to see photographs taken from her experience as being part of the Women Rights Movement. Her perspective as a sort of "fly on the wall" was interesting. However, I feel like she could have delved a little more into why she became involved with photography and her motivations. I feel like she started us off from her college years but didn't give any background on where that passion arose from. I think her experience complement the readings from the textbook. Photography can be used as a political tool in the form of documenting protests and activism from the public, which Henry effectively utilized.

Diana Mara Henry

by Alyson - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 12:44 PM

I thought Henry's lecture was interesting by allowing us to see the pictures she took at these events and explaining what it was like to be there. Her experience compare to the readings in the book by showing the struggle that these women went through to get what they wanted. Things that today we kind of take for granted. A photo can be used as a political tool by showing rather then explaining so you form your own opinion about the issue or topic instead someone else being shove down your throat.

Diana Mara Henry

by Zenia - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 12:06 PM

It was an honor to have her come speak to us about something she is passionate about. She talked about something she lived through and in a way it makes this seem more real than just reading about it in the textbooks which make it seem like these events took place a long time ago. Photography is definitely a political took for it can be used as evidence to a claim, it can be used as propaganda, it can be used in posters and campaigns and Photographs, if used well for a cause can cause a large impact on the way people see things. It is a powerful tool. 

Diana Mara Henry

by Caroline - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 11:23 AM

I was blown away by Diana Mara Henry! 

I loved how she explained her photographs throughout her career, and I thought it was great to have her come in because her experiences made what we have been reading about come to life.  I think it made us, as students, see the people more on an individual perspective than seeing all of these women as a whole.  These were real women, with real careers and various backgrounds coming together from Seneca Falls to Houston to the Pentagon to fight for their rights.  I really enjoyed her lecture, and I only hope to be able to look back on a career as cool as hers.  I remember specifically she said something along the lines of 'keep doing what you love, because it gets better as you go and you have so much to look back on.'  That stuck.

Photography can definitely be used as a political tool, as Henry used her photography skills to help the political campaign of a woman in the 1970's.  Even on a more social aspect, photographing during protests can make the next generation see what has happened, and not just through text.  This makes you see the people, the faces, fighting for what they want.

Diana Mara Henry

by Savanna- Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 10:28 AM

I think that having Diana as a guest speaker was an honor. To be able to listen to all of the historical events and people she photographed was very intriguing and interesting to listen to. Henry was a great speaker and clearly cared about the photographs she took as well as being a comedian for the class. As we were learning about her photographs and her outlook on relations we could relate the gradual radical actions of women and social changes in the photographs to the second wave women's movement which was rooted in life much earlier on and gradually made its way to the radical surface through the movement. In Henry's photography it was used as a political tool in a campaign and it can also be used as propaganda to portray someone in a specific way that will appeal to people or make a point about someone.  

Diana Mara Henry Lecture

by Christopher - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 9:33 AM

It was a wonderful opportunity to have a guest lecturer of such esteem. It is always a good experience to get to hear an artist describe their own work, especially when the work is as politically loaded as these images. While Henry's work is clearly influential and important, I was disappointed to realize that it seems she has not sustained an interest in photojournalism, instead, seeming to dwell in her previous accomplishments. I would have been very interested to hear the thoughts of a historically significant photojournalist regarding current situations and the advances of technology. What are the implications of our ability to easily video record anyone via smart phone? (Police don't seem to like it very much, nor do many governments) What about the blurring of the lines between amateur and professionals?

Photography is clearly a powerful political tool, with implications both for it's ability to capture moments in history, and also for it's ability to inspire empathy for others.

Diana Mara Henry

by Emily - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 9:29 AM

The lecture given by Diana Mara Henry was very interesting and thought-provoking! I loved all the photographs displayed in her presentation and the historic connections she made with the feminist movement during the 1960s and 1970s. Diana dashed away my expectations with her openness of her story and experience as a photographer and history maker. I think it is easily forgotten that photographs are taken craftily and with the perspective of the photographer. Photographs, like the ones Diana took, help frame our understanding of historic events like the First National Women's Conference. It was nice to put faces to names and pictures to events that we have been reading about. Her experience and photographs documented the Second Wave women's movement (including the Lesbian movement) and shaped how we perceive those events today. Her photographs in newspapers and magazines provided exposure for the change and challenges of that time for women. Also, I think it is neat how she still connects with the women in her photographs years later. In this way, her historic ties are everlasting.

Diana Mara Henry

by Corinne - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 9:24 AM

- I really enjoyed the lecture given by Henry. Being able to actually see key players in the Women's Rights Movement, the emotions on their faces, and their powerful demonstrations served as a great complement to the lectures and readings. I enjoyed Henry's narration of her photographs. Seeing pictures is one thing, but hearing the words of the photographer along with the pictures is even better, in my opinion. 

- As mentioned above, I believe Henry's experience really complements the readings in the textbook. She provides a different media through which to view the events of the past. Reading primary sources is a helpful way to walk through history, but seeing faces and being able to put these faces to names that we've read about is a great learning tool.

- As Henry mentioned, photographs create history as well. Her photographs have been used in campaign posters and helped candidates gain popularity. Henry has documented important demonstrations and rallies of the Women's Rights Movements that helped show the entire country what events were taking place. This exposure helped the movement gain momentum and followers.

Diana Mara Henry

by Hannah - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 12:19 AM

The lecture by Diana Mara Henry was amazing! I could not believe that someone so influential was open to sharing her experiences with us and show us her powerful photographs. I liked her emphasis on photography being a political tool, especially in terms of the feminist movement. Her experience and photographs documented the Second Wave women's movement, specifically the Lesbian movement. Photographs can speak volumes and her simple photographs captured the change that was occuring during that time. 

Diana Mara Henry

by Jianyi - Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 12:04 AM

I was very impressed by how detailed the pictures were. They captured many important events at that time. Her experience is primary source and they are more detailed than the textbook. The pictures captured emotions and feelings that textbook could not. Just like the old saying, one picture can say a thousand words. And I think pictures are more powerful than words. And they can used as political tool by having more influence. Because people tend to believe pictures more than words. People are skeptical about the things that they read because the author can just make that up. However with a picture, it is harder for people to fake things.

Diana Mara Henry

by Emily - Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 10:42 PM

I enjoyed the lecture given by Henry because she was funny and easy going. She made me see a different side of the second wave women's movement. The book readings are radical and I cannot relate to the radical feelings of the women that I read about. I think photography is an incredibly important tool because it shows the reality of the times. In terms of the women's movement, it shows how active women were in the battle for equality and her pictures were really amazing. 

Diana Mara Henry Lecture

by Christina - Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 10:39 PM

I genuinely enjoyed today's lecture given by Diana Mara Henry. Learning about history mostly through pictures was a refreshing change from taking notes, and hearing about her first-hand experiences with many political figures and events was enlightening. It's always more interesting to learn about history from someone who was directly involved in it as opposed to reading about it from a textbook. Her personal experiences coincided closely with the readings about the Second Wave women's movement that we have been assigned. However, her pictures did a better job bringing the era to life than the textbook did. Through her photographs she exemplified the struggles that women fought to overcome during the Second Wave, including sexism, racism, and the general struggle to gain respect. Henry's collection is a perfect example of the way photography can be used as a political tool. It allows the viewer to see the historical event first-hand, and to formulate their own opinions on the subject matter. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and each person can view the same historical picture differently and establish their own political stance based on it.

Diana Mara Henry

by Emily - Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 10:33 PM

I was really impressed with Diana Mara Henry and her work she showed us in class. It was amazing to see how we have been discussing all of these topics as history, but Diana was right there for all of them, documenting them and putting them to great use. I love how she said she still kept in touch with some of these women, and even how some women she did not know who they were until after the photo was taken. All of her pictures captured a moment in time that was very crucial to the rights we are given today as women. Diana Mara Henry was definitely a pleasure to listen to and her story through her photographs is truly amazing.

Diana Mara Henry

by Kourtney - Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 10:20 PM

I was very interested in today's lecture and seeing just how different some of what is reported in the media was actually untrue, such as the burning bras. Burning bras has been somewhat of a spectacle of feminism yet relatively few feminists according to Ms. Henry burned their bras. Also, it was quite interesting to see how close knit the feminist community is, it was good to see many famous feminists marching together and still being seen together years later. She is a revolutionary women in her career and her photos are beautiful and captivating. It is amazing to me that many of her photographs I had not seen before today. Photographs are very powerful, they say a lot with very little. Photographs show whereas words tell and it is easier for people to see a photo and know the truth (in my opinion) than for someone to simply write about something and call it fact, a photo shows the truth. Although, photos can easily be manipulated I feel that they are an influential tool to use politically as they show people what they may not already see. 

Diana Mara Henry Lecture

by Alexandra- Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 9:49 PM

The lecture given by Henry was outstanding and so interesting! At first I felt almost starstruck, especially as she threw out names such as Betty Friedan among her acquaintances, and other women whom we have learned about in this course who have made such a huge impact on new feminism. Also, her pictures are amazing and some were breathtaking. I honestly couldn't believe that I was sitting in the same room as a woman among change and progression towards gender equality! Hearing of her experiences sort of making the readings in the book come to life. Reading words on a page does not resonate nearly as much as hearing the spoken word from someone who was there to witness it and tell of it firsthand. Also, she told the stories visually, which also made her experiences much more memorable and easy to visualize. In the textbook, it's easy to get lost in the "fluff" and look too deep into the words. But seeing her pictures, seeing the women's faces and expressions, completely changed the way I saw the Second Wave women's movement and I felt like I understood it so much better. Photography is a perfect political tool because as I said, seeing the faces of the women in such passionate settings makes it so much more relatable and understandable. After all, the expression does say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and I completely agree.

Diana Mara Henry's Lecture

by HJ - Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 8:41 PM

I really enjoyed Diana's lecture today. After reading so many newspaper articles and letters and other written accounts of events and the social movement, it was a real breath of fresh air to get to see some of her photographs of the very movements we have been discussing. Diana's lecture added an emotional new perspective on the topics we have been discussing and reading about. As none of us were physically there for this pivotal time in the history of women's rights, perhaps photographs are the next best thing, for they can provide some aspect of emotion that we would not otherwise get from reading written journals and personal accounts. Photographs can change people's opinions in politics. Presidential campaigns are all about the press, and winning over the general public to gain electoral votes. Media is a central key in politics that can make or break a candidate, even a social movement, and during the Second Wave movement, photographs and film were the primary sources of media that dominated public opinion. Very interesting to get a firsthand account of this photographer's experience in the movement we have been discussing.

Henry's Lecture

by FE - Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 8:40 PM

I thought Diana Mara Henry's presentation was incredible. It was awesome to see the women's movement in pictures instead of just listening to stories of their struggle; it really put the whole movement together for me. Also, the way she photographs made it feel like you were aware of what was happening at that time, almost like you were there. I remember she said that wanted to photograph like you were looking through a window, and the way she captured peoples faces and actions took us back to that "window" of time. She wasn't out there photographing the main people of the movement or solely focusing on one organization, she was out there capturing the ordinary women protesting around the Pentagon or the draft card burning at Northeastern. It was a great change to learning about the movement and it really helped to connect the stories with the actual peoples faces.

Henry's Lecture

by ND- Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 7:52 PM

I thought Diana Mara Henry offered an incredible perspective, sharing stories behind her photographs of the 1960s Women Rights Movement and more. She has photographed many incredible figureheads, including Betty Friedan; and her photographs were featured in Gloria Steinem's Ms. Magazine. Her most impressive feat was that she was hired as the official photographer of the National Women's Conference in 1977. Henry has used photographs as a political tool, especially for women's rights. For example, she photographed a demonstration for the New York Times to use the term Ms., which they did in 1986. She also photographed, for example, the Stamp Series Campaign. Henry can truly be credited with writing history through her monumental photographs.