The Photographic Legacy of Lyndon Baines Johnson

Abstract

In this essay, I take up the question of why, despite Lyndon Baines Johnson's great interest in photography, his determination to harness the medium to sway public perceptions about his presidency could only be realized retrospectively. As part of this investigation, I first consider how Johnson sought to use photography to shape the historical legacy of his presidency and the extent to which his preoccupation with his outward appearance as well as his desire to conduct his governance in private influenced and even impeded that photographic legacy. To further come to terms with the limitations of Johnson's approach to the photography of his presidency, I then turn to two iconic photographs that are frequently evoked when thinking historically about Johnson's presidency. I argue that their historical significance depends less on their representation of Johnson and more on their role in constructing a collective sense of American public identity, especially in relation to the Vietnam War, one of the most contentious aspects of Johnson's presidency.

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