In 1961, Life magazine, then the most popular generalist weekly in the United States, announced that it wanted to contribute to the victory of the Cold War. Communist revolutionary Fidel Castro had taken control of Cuba two years earlier, making neighboring Latin American countries the new battleground for economic influence between the capitalist United States and the Communist Soviet Union.
As part of his new assignment, Life sent photographer Gordon Parks to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to report on systemic poverty and demonstrate Latin America’s vulnerability to communism. His resulting photographic essay, and in particular his main subject, 12-year-old Flavio da Silva, was an unexpected success in the United States. Life readers, moved by Flavio’s photos and his story of battling severe asthma, sent in thousands of donations to “save” him, leading to a follow-up cover story by Life called “Flavio’s Rescue” , who celebrated American generosity.
But Brazilian media viewed the photo report as a negative and stereotypical view of Brazil. Brazilian magazine O Cruzeiro – a weekly publication which, like Life, featured photographic essays – decided to respond to Life’s report. O Cruzeiro sent one of his photographers, Henri Ballot, to New York. There, he photographed a Puerto Rican immigrant family living in a poor Manhattan neighborhood, and O Cruzeiro printed the photos in a layout that directly copied that of Life. When examined side by side, the two photographic essays – and the international feud they sparked – tell a story of sensationalism and propaganda.
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Darkroom is a series of stories and photographs that anchor each episode around a single image. Analyzing what the photo is showing (or not showing) provides context that helps unravel a larger story. Watch previous episodes here.
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