The Way We Never Were

How did photography construct cultural memories of postwar America? Life in the United States after World War II is often remembered as a time of prosperity, stability, and ease. The Way We Never Were examines the role that professional photography played in shaping this familiar image. Photographers working on commission for private clients, businesses, and civic organizations produced portraits and promotional images that did more than document everyday life—they staged and refined it, helping define how Americans saw themselves and their nation. Drawn from the Harvard Art Museums’ American…