Yoichi Okamoto’s Contribution to US Visual Communication Policy in Postwar Austria 1948–1954

Abstract Drawing on American documents from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, this article examines the development, scope, and significance of the American photographic service (Pictorial Section) in Austria during the country’s postwar occupation. Special attention is given to the heads of this section, the photographers Howard R. Hollem and Yoichi R. Okamoto. Under Okamoto, who employed and trained many Austrian press photographers, the Pictorial Section fostered modern photojournalism in Austria. Furthermore, the daily Wiener Kurier, owned and edited by the American occupational forces, with its weekly pictorial supplement shaped postwar Austrian visual culture. At the same time, the highly requested photos of the Pictorial Section that were distributed free of charge served their propagandistic purpose: They helped accomplish America’s cultural mission in Austria and took a firm stand in the Cold War.