The Prints & Photographs Division has a small number of military photos taken since the Vietnam War. Most of these images are from the Iraq War (2003-2011) and the Afghanistan War (2001-2021), and many show injured US military veterans. These photos are served by appointment, so please contact the division in advance of a visit. A few photos have been scanned, but because of copyright, most are only available on site in a full size. The National Archives is a good source for images of these wars. Some of the individual US military branches also have online sites with photos from more recent wars.
Photographer Stephen Dupont's journal, made up of handwritten text and Polaroid photos taped to the pages, was created while he accompanied US soldiers and Afghan police in war torn areas of Afghanistan. The notebook includes a series of portraits of US Marines and their written responses to the question, "Why am I a Marine?" Other photos show the conditions he and the soldiers lived and worked in.
This series of black-and-white portraits by photographer David Jay shows soldiers who were injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The soldiers appear in their post-military lives at home, with their children, swimming in a pool, etc.
This set of 17 color portraits of injured soldiers posed in front of a white or black background were taken by photographer and documentary film maker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Soldiers are standing or are seated, showing their injuries to the camera, and in some cases holding their prosthesis.
