The first war with broad media coverage

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, the THE KENNEDYS Museum is presenting Vietnam, an exhibition of works by Thomas Billhardt. The exhibition will be on display from July 17 to September 6, 2015.

With over 70 photographs from Billhardt's body of work, the exhibition offers insight into the era of the Vietnam War, and also broaches the issue of the meaning of photo journalism during the war.

Tragic climax of the Cold War
The Vietnam War, which cost the lives of millions of people, is considered the tragic climax of the Cold War. A stage for political development, ideologies and paradigms following the Second World War, historical research sees the Vietnam War as the greatest “proxy war” between the Soviet Union and the United States of America.

Photography as a historic break from the past
No theoretical essay about the Vietnam War can convey haunting impressions in the same way as photography can. Thanks to various technical and societal developments at the time, the Vietnam War was to go down in history as the first conflict with comprehensive media coverage – in this sense, photography brought about a historic break from the past.

Further information at: The Kennedys