Viewing Distance compiles and transforms declassified material from United States government archives to examine photography as a tool of the military-industrial complex for reconnaissance, surveillance, and documentation of advanced technologies. While many of the source images date back to the mid-twentieth century, they have only recently been declassified and much information remains secret. These images represent the decades-long time delay from when knowledge comes into being and when it becomes publicly accessible. Some are deliberately concealed while others have been altered by repeated reproduction during their time in the archives.