History 233: Soviet History and the Cold War: Images

The Digital Collection provides free and open access to over 800,000 images from the Library’s collections. These digital images include photographs, posters, documents, maps, manuscripts and other source materials in many academic fields. These resources can cover the Soviet Union and other regions as well

Images reflecting the Soviet Union, Russian-American, or Russian histories.

Comics and cartoons offer a powerful way to communicate ideas and beliefs. People have often dismissed comics and cartoons as for children, but such images enable creators of these sources to push boundaries beyond what other sources can do. MAD magazine attacked Senator Joe McCarthy during his communist witch hunts in the 1950s when few others dared to question his tactics. When looking at a cartoon or comic, please note that there is often more than one story, not just the surface story. Also consider the context of when the cartoon appeared and why a cartoon as a source may be useful.

In the decades after World War II, mutual distrust between the United States and the Soviet Union led to international tension and the chilling threat of nuclear warfare in an era commonly called the “Cold War.”