ABSTRACT
Beginning with the concept of the “iconic photograph” (Harriman & Lucaites, 2007b) and their instantaneous recognisability, this chapter discusses the role of lamination in the context of the mass media and photojournalism. Many iconic photographs are also controversial photographs and this chapter features two of the most controversial of the early twenty-first century: Richard Drew’s ‘Falling Man’ and Thomas Hoepker’s ‘9/11’, both of which were taken on September 11th 2001 during the terror attacks in New York City. Although each of these photographs are indeed “iconic” and are etched indelibly on the minds of public memory, the chapter demonstrates that various commentaries have in fact changed them over time. It is therefore not simply the pictures in themselves that hold meaning. Rather, processes of lamination, it is claimed, have amplified the sense of controversy and outrage that they have inspired at various stages.
