Transcript 12-most-iconic

12 Most Iconic Photographs
Timothy H. O’Sullivan
Battle of Gettysburg
This photograph has become synonymous with The
Battle of Gettysburg, which was the most bloody
battle of the American Civil War. Photographer
Timothy H. O’Sullivan documented and recorded the
battlefield, and this picture became a sensation. For
many, this was their first chance to see, first hand, the
true extent of the Civil War. However, it was not until
40 years after the battle that the pictures were mass
produced, as photo-engraving had not been
established. The picture shows dead confederate
soldiers on the battlefield, and has earned its place in
history as an iconic photograph.
Lawrence Beitler – Lynching
Lawrence Beitler took this iconic photograph on August
7, 1930, showing the lynching of Thomas Shipp and
Abram Smith. It sold thousands of copies, which Beitler
stayed up for 10 days and nights printing them. It has
become iconic over the years as it is one of the best
and most recognizable images of lynching, which at the
time was commonplace, but now serves only as a
reminder of the pre-Civil Rights era. The photo shows a
crowd that have turned out to view the lynching, and the
audience a mixture of anger and fulfillment. The photo
was so popular it has been the inspiration for many
poems and songs down the years.
Joe Rosenthal
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is an historic photograph
taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It
depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy
corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop
Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World
War II. It became the only photograph to win the
Pulitzer Prize for Photography in the same year as its
publication, and came to be regarded in the United
States as one of the most significant and
recognizable images of the war, and possibly the most
reproduced photograph of all time.
Alberto Korda
Che Guevara
Alberto Korda’s well known photograph of Marxist
revolutionary Che Guevara, titled ‘Guerrillero Heroico’
or ‘Heroic Guerrilla’ has become a symbol of the 20th
centry. It shows Che, as he was known, at a memorial
service for victims of the La Coubre explosion. The
picture depicts the then-31 year-old’s stoic and
character and now appear on T-shirts, tattoos, murials
and walls all around the world. Despite being one of the
most reproduced images in history, Korda, a lifelong
Communist and supporter of the Cuban Revolution,
claimed no payment for his picture. The rights of the
picture are now disputed. Still, it remains one of the
most iconic photographs of the 20th century.
Eddie Adams – Nguyễn Ngọc Loan
executing Nguyễn Văn Lém
Most of the iconic images of the 20th and 21st
century have owned their photographers Pulitzer
prizes for their work, and this image is no
exception. Eddie Adams was famous for his
portraits of celebrties and for being a prolific
photojournalist, having been in 13 wars. However,
possibly his most famous image is of the
execution of Nguy?n Van LÈm by Nguy?n Ng?c
Loan during the Vietnam War. Adams later
apologized in person to General Nguyen and his
family for the irreparable damage it did to Loan’s
honor while he was alive.
Moon Landing
Possibly the most talked-about, debated and controversial
picture in history, the picture of the moon landing has been
seen as a feat of human engineering at its best, and has
been speculated as a hoax by contractors of the event.
Those in doubt of the authenticity of the picture have come
up with many suggestions as to why and how it might have
been faked. However, none of the accusations have been
proved correct and the debate continues in some circles.
For many, though, it provides a sense of accomplishment
and acheivement by the human race to send a man to the
moon, which for years was considered an impossibility. The
American flag also installs national pride in the US as the
winners of the so-called ‘Space Race’, and their
establishment as the world’s one remaining super power.
Richard Drew – The Falling Man
“The Falling Man” is a photograph taken by
Richard Drew at 9:41:15 a.m., on September 11,
2001 of a man falling from the World Trade Center
during the September 11 attacks in New York City.
The man in the photograph remains unknown.
Many people find the image disturbing because it
is a horrific image of what people had to resort to
during the attacks. The picture is deceptive,
however, as it suggest that man was falling
straight down, however, this is just one of many
photographs of his fall. It is evident from these
other pictures that he tumbling out of control.
Huynh Cong Ut – Napalm Strike
This photo of a naked and terrified young girl running
towards Pulitzer prize-winning photographer Nick Ut has
entered popular culture as a symbol of the horror of the
Vietnam War. It was taken during the American bombing of
the village of Trang Bang, Viet Nam. However there has
been much controversy over the events depicted in the
photo. It is suggested that American bombers had nothing
to do with this event and that there have been many
derogatory and misleading comments about the American
troops in regard to this photo. Nevertheless, it is said that
this photo ended the war in Vietnam and served as an icon
for the peace movement that was prevalent in the 1970s.
Stanley J. Forman
Fire on Marlborough Street
On July 22, 1975, Stanley J. Forman took this
infamous photograph while working for the Boston
Herald. He climbed on the back of a fire truck as it
raced towards a reported fire at Marlborough
Street. Just as the crew had arrived at the scene,
a young woman and small girl fell from an
apartment above. The woman died instantly, but
the young girl lived. This photo earned Forman a
Pulitzer prize, and in addition, convinced Boston
and several other cities to introduce more
comprehensive fire safety laws.
Tank Man – Jeff Widener
Often considered the most iconic photograph in
history, ‘tank man’ or ‘the unknown rebel’ shows
an act of courage and defiance and earned the
anonymous man widespread fame. It took place
during the protests at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square
on June 5, 1989, and has subsequently become a
symbol of the end of the Cold War era, and one of
the most famous photographs of the 20th century.
Four people claim to have took photos of the
event, but the most reproduced image, and the
most famous was by Jeff Widener.
Mike Wells – Uganda
This example of emotive imagery is of child in
Uganda holding hands with a missionary. The
stark contrast between the two people serves as a
reminder of the gulf in wealth between developed
and developing countries. Mike Wells, the
photographer, took this picture to show the extent
of starvation in Africa. He took it for a magazine,
and when they went 5 months without printing it,
he decided to enter it into a competition. However,
Wells has stated that he is against winning a
compeition with a picture of a starving boy.
Kevin Carter
Vulture Stalking a Child
This shocking photo depicts a starving Sudanese
child being stalked by a patient vulture. It is a
horrific picture that gave people a true look at the
dire condition in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kevin Carter,
who took the photo, won a Pulitzer Prize for this
work. Kevin then came under a lot of scrutiny for
spending over 20 minutes setting up the photo
instead of helping the child. Three months after
taking the photo, he committed suicide.