I would like to devote the next posts to the pictures that changed the world. Hope you will learn something new and extremely interesting reading’em. It’s so awesome to share such outstanding facts with somebody who is really interested in it!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

The “Loch Ness Monster” Jen Wetherell, 1934

Also known as The “Surgeon’s Photo”. This fuzzy picture, made in April 1934, is known all over the world. During 60 years this photo gave rise to the most incredible speculations about a living saurian inhabiting Loch Ness Lake in Scotland. It also caused a lot of rumors and conjectures, initiated some submarine expeditions and gave rise to the whole industry of tourism in a little Scottish town.
That was till 1994 when the adopted son of the author of the falsification Christian Spurling – told the public about his stepfather Marmaduke Wetherell contracted by the London newspaper Daily Mail for the search of the big animal, failed to find it and decied to make this fake photo with the help of his stepson Christian and son Jen. That is Jen - the real author of the picture. “Nessie” was constructed in haste and was supported on the surface with the help of a toy submarine.
In order to make the story hang together well, the swindlers induced the local surgeon Robert Kenneth Wilson to call himself the author of the photo.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

“Gandhi” Margaret Bourke-White, 1946

One of the most influential people of the XX century, Gandhi, did not like to be photographed, though in 1946 a staff member of Life, Margaret Bourke-White, was allowed taking his picture against the spinning wheel – the symbol of struggle for independence of India. Before the photographer was admitted to make photo session, she had to learn how to spin – that was the requirement of Gandhi’s surroundings.
Managed with this, two more tasks were waiting for the photographer. At the beginning it was found out that nobody was permitted to speak with Gandhi – he had “the day of silence”, which He used to spend speechless. As Gandhi could not stand a bright light, Margaret was allowed to make only three shots (with flash).
One more problem was also a moist atmosphere of India, which affected the camera, that’s why two first pictures were poor, but the third one turned out to be great. It is the very shot, that formed the image of India for the million of people. The photo became the last portrait of Gandhi during his lifetime – two years later He was killed…

Friday, November 14, 2008

“Le Violon d’Ingres” Man Ray, 1924

Before the epoch of digital photography and Photoshop has come, it was the epoch of Man Ray, one of the most outstanding and distinctive photographer in the world who made endless experiments with photos.

The picture “Le Violon d’Ingres” (the Violin D'Ingres) is his early and probably the most well-known work. This shot represents a kind of visual pun, simultaneously emphasizing the resemblance of a female body with the violin, sending the viewer to the association with the French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, who depicted naked women and accompanied the show of his pictures playing the violin.

The masterpiece of the intellectual-dadaist Man Ray outstripped its time. Having defined the photography as the means of the artistic interpretation of reality, Man Ray anticipated our revolution in digital photographing.

Monday, November 10, 2008

In a Village part.II

Some more pics from the village made by me:)

Thursday, November 6, 2008

“V–J day in Times Square” Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1945

August 14, 1945, the news about the capitulation of Japan proclaimed the end of the Second World War. Tumultuous celebrating began at New-York streets, but, probably, no one from the people in the city did not as feel free, as militaries did. Among the happiest people, gathered that day in Times Square, was one of the most talented photojournalist of the XX century, the German immigrant Alfred Eisenstaedt.
Picking out the pictures of celebration with his camera, he noticed a sailor, “walking down the street and seizing every girl on his way.” Later he said that he did not care was she “a granny, slim, fat, old or young” – he made no differences. Of course, this legendary shot, depicting the kiss of a venerable pensioner, would never appear at the Life’s cover, but when a dashing military man spun around and kissed an attractive nurse, and Eisenstaedt took a picture, this shot was spread around in newspapers all over the country.
In stands to reason, “V–J day in Times Square” was not the picture of two lovers, separating by the war. However, even to the present day this shot remains the symbol of the USA at the end of the long struggle for piece.

Monday, November 3, 2008

“Migrant Mother” Dorothea Lange, 1936

Thanks to the legendary photographer Dorothea Lange, over many years Florence Owen Thompson has been literally an embodiment of the Great Depression. Lange made this shot while visiting the camp of vegetable pickers in California (February, 1936) with the aim to show the whole world the fortitude and inflexibility of the proud nation in hard times.
The history of Dorothea’s life turned out to be as magnetic as her portrait. In her 32 she has been a mother of seven children and a widow already (her husband died from tuberculosis). Being practically without means in a work camp for emigres, her family ate the meat of birds, winging by children and farm vegetables – the same was about other 2500 camp workers.
The publishing of the photo came as a bombshell. The Thomson’s story, appeared on the covers of the most authoritative editions, found an immediate response around the public. The Farm Security Administration immediately sent food and essentials to the camp. Unfortunately, the Thomson’s family had already left the lived-in place and received nothing from the government. It should be mentioned that nobody knew even the name of that woman on the shot. Only 40 years later after the shot’s publishing, in 1976 Thomson “disclosed” herself, giving the interview to one of the central newspaper.