An illusion of calm: Snapshot photography, history, and memory among Vietnam veterans

Using theories of photography, both theoretical and practical, meaning making, memory, and community, this dissertation examines the reasons soldiers and support staff had for documenting their experience in the Vietnam War with snapshot photography. How were these images used to facilitate communication both during and after the war? What were the notions of authorship and community for those who created the image collections and those who possess them?; Two-dozen veterans and a few family members were interviewed for this study using techniques borrowed from oral history and ethnography. These interviews, along with the image collections, were analyzed to better understand Vietnam War snapshot photography, the impetus behind the practice, and the images themselves.; American soldiers and support staff participating in the Vietnam War created thousands of snapshots documenting their experiences during their tours of duty. These images were important during the war as facilitators of communication between soldiers and support staff in Vietnam, as well as with families and loved ones back home. The snapshots helped convey the experience of the war to those who did not directly participate.; After the war ended, the snapshots continued to play an important role in the lives of veterans as triggers for memory and physical representations of experience. While many veterans chose not to view their images for years, in large part due to negative public reception of the war, many have recently decided to view them again in an effort to restore the experience to their lives.