Cold War Visual Legacies

Introduction to the special issue 'Cold War Visual Legacies'. This special issue explores the enduring visual legacies of the Cold War, an era of stark ideological division and intense geopolitical struggle, whose reverberations continue to shape contemporary crises. While debates persist on whether the Cold War officially ended with the dissolution of the USSR, recent global events – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the resurgence of militarism, and escalating conflicts in Gaza – underscore its lingering impact. Through a transnational lens, the contributors examine how photography, as both a tool of state propaganda and resistance, has documented and influenced the political dynamics of this era. The issue extends prior research, transitioning from hemispheric Latin American contexts to a broader exploration of solidarities and revolutionary histories in East, West, and Southeast Asia, as well as other global regions. Key contributions include analyses of private archival practices that challenge official narratives, such as Soviet ‘dembel’ albums’ revealing soldier experiences and Afghan refugee collections critiquing propagandistic depictions of Afghanistan. By focusing on the circulation and recirculation of visual media, these studies illuminate shifting meanings and the role of photography in constructing memory. The contributors also investigate state-driven photographic networks. For instance, socialist bloc agencies collaborated on exhibitions promoting ideological unity, while Cold War-era Korean and Southeast Asian photographers crafted anti-communist visual solidarities. These projects expose internal contradictions within both ideological camps and highlight the complexities of visual diplomacy. Additionally, the role of photography as a medium for resistance is exemplified by the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s archives, which foster resilience and community under occupation.