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The Bigger Picture

The Real Story Behind This Iconic 9/11 Photo

Season 1 Episode 3 | 12m 16s

How does an image become “iconic?” And when it does, will its meaning change? Host Vincent Brown explores these questions as he zooms in on one of the most well-known photos from September 11: “Raising the Flag at Ground Zero.” Photographer Thomas E. Franklin talks about the instant he captured the actions of the firefighters and the experience of watching his work become a cultural phenomenon.

Aired: 09/05/22
Major funding for THE BIGGER PICTURE was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by the Anderson Family Charitable Fund, the Tamara L. Harris Foundation, the William Talbott Hillman Foundation, the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding for the digital production of THE BIGGER PICTURE was provided by Chasing the Dream – a public media initiative from The WNET Group, reporting on poverty, opportunity, and justice in America, and supported by The JPB Foundation, The Peter G. Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney Fund, and Sue and Edgar Wachenheim, III.
Extras
Watch • 12:18
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Episode: S1 E6 | 14:24
Watch • 11:06
The Bigger Picture
This Photo of U.S. Immigration Isn’t What You Think
An iconic photograph representing the immigrant experience is more than meets the eye.
Episode: S1 E5 | 11:06
Watch • 11:26
The Bigger Picture
This Photo Isn’t What It Looks Like
Unravel the mystery behind an iconic photograph of Blackfeet tribe leader Mountain Chief.
Episode: S1 E4 | 11:26
Watch • 11:21
The Bigger Picture
The Story Behind Earth’s Most Famous Photo
Find out how “Blue Marble,” NASA’s iconic photo of a fully illuminated Earth, was taken.
Episode: S1 E2 | 11:21
Watch • 11:22
The Bigger Picture
Did This Photo Make Lincoln President?
What can a portrait of Abraham Lincoln tell us about the spectacle of politics today?
Episode: S1 E1 | 11:22
Watch • 0:41
The Bigger Picture
The Bigger Picture | Official Trailer
Explore American history through iconic photos that have defined our national identity.
Preview: 0:41
Watch • 12:18
The Bigger Picture
Why Gordon Parks’ Most Famous Photo Almost Wasn’t Released
This iconic photo by Gordon Parks was once considered too controversial to be published.
Episode: S1 E7 | 12:18
Watch • 14:24
The Bigger Picture
How an FBI Poster Became a Black Power Symbol
How an FBI Wanted poster turned Angela Davis into a symbol of Black Power and liberation.
Episode: S1 E6 | 14:24
Watch • 11:06
The Bigger Picture
This Photo of U.S. Immigration Isn’t What You Think
An iconic photograph representing the immigrant experience is more than meets the eye.
Episode: S1 E5 | 11:06
Watch • 11:26
The Bigger Picture
This Photo Isn’t What It Looks Like
Unravel the mystery behind an iconic photograph of Blackfeet tribe leader Mountain Chief.
Episode: S1 E4 | 11:26
Watch • 11:21
The Bigger Picture
The Story Behind Earth’s Most Famous Photo
Find out how “Blue Marble,” NASA’s iconic photo of a fully illuminated Earth, was taken.
Episode: S1 E2 | 11:21
Watch • 11:22
The Bigger Picture
Did This Photo Make Lincoln President?
What can a portrait of Abraham Lincoln tell us about the spectacle of politics today?
Episode: S1 E1 | 11:22