Work

Propaganda Spectacles: Alan Fisher’s Photography and the US Information Service in Brazil during the Early Cold War

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article analyses samples of unexplored photographic series produced by US photographer Alan Fisher (1913–88) in Brazil between 1950 and 1953. These images are part of visual reports produced for the United States Information Service (USIS) documenting the screening of newsreels, short films and cartoons in factories and rural communities in Brazil. The article repositions Fisher as a key figure for understanding US information warfare in mid-century Brazil. It theorises these screenings as political-performative events and develops an approach that accounts for the persuasive (and deceptive) dimension of these campaigns while acknowledging the audience’s agency and strategic complicity.

Source: Journal of Latin American Studies

DOI: 10.1017/s0022216x25101223

Author: Daniel Mandur Thomaz

Institution: King's College London

Language: English

Topic: History, Culture, and Diplomacy

Subfield: History

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550

Funders: King's College London, Arts and Humanities Research Council