War Imagery
As this is a nonfictional work concerned primarily with the efficacy of the use of war imagery as an argumentative tool, there is accordingly a significant amount of imagery regarding war. Throughout the book, Sontag quotes other books, references photographs, and paints verbal pictures, all of which deal with the atrocities and brutalities of war. A notable example is Robert Capa's picture Death of a Republic Soldier, which shows a soldier in the instant of death, being knocked backward by a killing bullet.
Camera Imagery
There is, understandably, quite a bit of imagery regarding cameras as well. Sontag traces the development of camera technology from the huge, cumbersome behemoths that constituted cameras prior to the 1930s, to the small, lightweight cameras that allowed firsthand coverage of the war as it was going on. The camera is an integral part of photography, obviously, and all this imagery about cameras emphasizes the nature of the medium as well as the artistic direction involved.
Injury Imagery
Of particular note in the overarching category of war photography is a smaller subtype: representations of injuries done to soldiers during combat. There are many such examples in this work, most notably a reference to the section "Faces of War" from Ernst Friedrich's controversial collection Krieg dem Kriege! (War Against War). In this section, Friedrich reproduces 24 images of wounded, mauled, and mutilated faces of soldiers injured in the line of combat. These images, along with the rest of the book, had a significant effect, possibly becoming some of the most influential and controversial pieces of war photography in history.
Ironic Juxtaposition Imagery
While making a point about the efficacy of war photography, Sontag describes the unfortunately ironic circumstances under which it was first printed in magazines. The entire right-hand page was devoted to the horrible image, while the left side consisted of a full-sized advertisement for men's hair cream, depicting a fit man playing tennis and relaxing with accentuated perfect hair. This ironic juxtaposition provides a sobering image that demonstrates the levity with which most Americans viewed such terrible images.
