Photography And The Cultural History Of The Postwar European City

In 1945, civilians of the cities and towns of postwar Europe faced the daunting task of urban reconstruction and recovery. Through a broad range of case studies, from publicly-circulating aerial photography to press coverage of the opening of UNESCO headquarters, this book explores the impact of urban photography at a critical moment in European architectural history. Tracing how images trafficked between conceptual, media and material spaces in France, Britain and Germany, the book reveals how photography shaped the architecture of each country, reflecting each nation's attitudes to the past and vision of its future. Fascinating reading for historians of visual and urban culture, this is the first volume to analyse how official publications and the illustrated popular press pictured and promoted pivotal ideas and perspectives on the city, nationhood and Western Europe.