Iconic Photographs from the 20th Century

[sherbearee]

If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough" - Robert Capa

1. Migrant Mother (Dorothea Lange, 1936)

The effects of the Great Depression are prominent on this 32 year old mother's face. She had just sold the tires from her car to buy food for her children.

2. The Burning Monk (Malcom Browne, 1963)

In protest of the persecution of Bhuddists by the Catholic South Vietnamese government, Thích Quảng Đức burned himself to death on a busy road in Saigon. Photographs of the incident generated international response, as John F. Kennedy said "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one."

3. Murder of a Vietcong by Saigon Police Chief (Eddie Adams, 1968)

The Western world was often sheltered from the brutalities of the Vietnam War - this iconic photograph shed some light on the harsh reality. Contrary to general assumptions, the "bad guy" in this photo is actually the one we tend to have more sympathy for.

4. V-J Day in Times Square (Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1945)

This sailor's celebration of the end of WWII included kissing random women in Times Square - although onlookers had good fun watching him, this lady reportedly wasn't pleased with the impromptu gesture. Nonetheless, it was a joyous time for many.

5. Tiananmen Square "Tank Man" (Jeff Widener, 1989)

The Chinese military was ordered to run down protestors at Tiananmen Square during protests in 1989. This unidentified man calmly planted himself in front of a column of tanks, holding bags of groceries and refusing to move. Surprisingly, the lead tank decided to manuver around the man, instead of running over him.

6. Sudanese Girl and Vulture (Kevin Carter, 1993)

This image was captured during the Sudanese famine, while a starving child crawls towards a feeding centre as a vulture stalks her as prey. The photographer committed suicide a year after.

---

Sorry for ending on such a sad note - there are many more photos that illustrate the challenge and changes of society; these are just a few that I have come across.

Please share any that you find are memorable. :)

[meatballs21]

Number 6, her parents were off-camera collecting the aid delivered by the plane the photographer arrived on. He was subject to persection by the Court of Public Opinion over people's perception that he failed to do anything.

To go with 2 and 3 is the famous picture of Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing her village, having been badly burned by napalm. @NearlyNapping mentions it.

More I'd consider would be:
Sharbat Gula:
upload.wikimedia.org/.../Sharbat_Gula.jpg

Challenger shuttle explosion
media.cleveland.com/.../...pg-ff9375e2f0d3b75c.jpg

East German Guard jumping the Berlin Wall as it is being constructed
24.media.tumblr.com/...mb1aito7BV1ruhu7eo1_500.jpg

Berlin Wall comes down
a.abcnews.go.com/.../...ll_jef_141105_16x9_992.jpg

Marines (and Navy Corpsman) raise the flag on Iwo Jima
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima

and... Saint Paul's cathedral through the smoke and destruction of the Blitz.
ww2today.com/.../St-Pauls-in-London-Blitz.jpg

[sherbearee]

I'm pretty sure it was simply a theory, the story about the Sudanese girl..
And yes, I've seen the picture of the little girl. :/

Thanks for sharing those:)

[justbanANNAz]

OMG I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS TAKE! the kissing one is the most recognisable to me.

what about these ones too? :D
imgc.allpostersimages.com/.../...e-dress-color.jpg

cps-static.rovicorp.com/.../MI0003484443.jpg

api.ning.com/.../JamesDean.jpeg

upload.wikimedia.org/.../...ley_Jailhouse_Rock.jpg

news.wsu.edu/.../...ving-Dream-speech-1963-500.jpg

and.. my favourite...
images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-08-01-liston2.jpg

[sherbearee]

I think i've only seen the first, second, and fourth!
aw aha thank you :)

[Anonymous]

The 20th century is the best. Sometimes I wish I was a vampire born in mid-1700's in Europe and got turned at 20 years old. I'd immigrate to the United States just before it was founded and be able to witness history. Indian tribes still living like Indians, slaves being brought over from Africa, plantation life in the South, witnessing romances not socially acceptable at the time, slave trade stopping and slaves' worth rising, slave uprisings, the Underground Railroad (I'd kill to meet Harriet Tubman), the Civil War, then visit to England for Oscar Wilde's trial.

I'd leave USA and go to Europe for the world wars. I'd be in Balkans until 1910's, then in Anatolia to see the Armenian Genocide. I'd visit Istanbul and then go to Russia which just became communist. Then I'd live in Germany until Adolf Hitler died. I'd probably say I'm a Jew/homosexual so they'd throw me in a Nazi camp. I'd try to come up with ideas for others to escape, I wouldn't because I can't die from starvation anyway. And no one cares if I feed from dying prisoners. Feeding from guards for quality blood can be risky, though I may try. I'd want to be in Bergen-Belsen to get a chance to meet Anne Frank. Afterwards I'd go back to the USA after a short visit to Russia. I'd probably spend the 50's doing nothing, such a boring decade. I'd be VERY active in the Civil Rights Movement. I'd walk to Selma, listen to MLK's speech, save those poor girls from the bomb in that Baptist Church and root for Rosa Parks. I'd be in Woodstock 69 and Stonewall. From the 70's, I'd begin rooting for gay rights if people didn't notice this weird guy/gal activist doesn't age and burned me at a stake. I'd come to Turkey for the 80s. Shit was crazy. Then I'd go to Glendale, California near LA and just watch the Armenians walking around until internet and smart phones came along. I'd buy book. com, sex. com and all other common domains and common names on social networks (as the first member) to get filthy rich. In 2001, I'd go to Netherlands and become one of the first people to gay-marry. In 2013, I'd attend Gezi Park protests. After that is now, so I think I'd just travel around and settle down in NYC or something for a while.

[QuestionMan]

Speaking of Great Depression as a Canadian I thought you would know this one.
rabble.ca/.../11-boarding.jpg
It's called on to Ottawa trek.

This one is at a concentration camp in Germany
pix.avaxnews.com/.../000018f5_medium.jpeg

Also who can forget the raising of the US flag at Iwo Jima
www.globeatwar.com/.../...ima_Raising_the_Flag.jpg

Soviet soldiers gather Nazi emblems for burning
https://i.imgur.com/7P7SaG5.jpg

Soviet flag raised in Berlin
www.thetoc.gr/.../article3124_1399641998.w_hr.jpg

[NedfromtheNed]

The Iwo Jima picture was actually posed. The real one is much less dramatic...

[QuestionMan]

@NedfromtheNed It's still an iconic picture from WW2

[NedfromtheNed]

Yeah, and awesome.

[sherbearee]

all from war..
interesting, thank you

[QuestionMan]

All except the first one :P

[sherbearee]

haha yes, though no more pleasant :P

[Blackwatch8494]

Soviet Flag in Berlin was also posed! They recreated it as the actual capture of and raising the flag over the Reichstag had occurred a day or a couple days earlier!

[QuestionMan]

@Blackwatch8494 It's the symbolism not the accuracy that matters in this context

[Blackwatch8494]

I know! I'm just saying! not taking away from the significance of the picture!

[Bluemax]

To these I add:

Earthrise seen from Apollo 8. Apollo 8 was the first manned mission that sent a spacecraft to orbit another celestial body other than Earth
www.wired.com/.../earthrise.jpg

Thermal shadow of a human, Hiroshima, 1945
theghostdiaries.com/.../shadow12667.jpg

First image of the surface of Venus, 1975 (first picture of another planet taken from the surface)
vintagespace.files.wordpress.com/.../...r_proc.jpg

[sherbearee]

I was actually going to use the earthrise one - that one's beautiful.
Thanks :)

[Dragan]

Photographs from the 20th Century

curranharry.files.wordpress.com/.../...ly-1994.jpg
www.galleryintell.com/.../...PAD-galleryIntell.png
badgerandfoxgallery.com/.../...nder-Water-1979.jpg

[justbanANNAz]

im not sure if those r iconic though. lol

[Dragan]

@justbanANNAz
It is not ironic. These are some of the most famous photographs of the twentieth century

[justbanANNAz]

oh ok. i personally have never seen them. but thanks for clarifying.

[Dragan]

@justbanANNAz
Irving Penn, Ruth Bernhard and Brett Weston.

[sherbearee]

justbanANNAz said iconic, not ironic lol...
but yeah, i haven't seen these either - thanks for sharing :)

[DeltsBrah]

Lame bodies.

[ThePragmaticRomantic]

The russian flag raised over the reichstag.
HRH Queen Elizabeth's famous coronation shot.

And a few 21'st century ones:
GW Bush looking blank as an aid whispers in his ear about the 911 attacks.
The Hussein statue partially fallen rapped in ropes.
The Ukrain riots with the fire and the trebucet.
Dave Cameron holding a pig and smiling.

[sherbearee]

never seen those, thank you for sharing!

[ThePragmaticRomantic]

Not seen them? This is possibly the most famous photograph of ww2, and really serves as a reminder of the cost of war, and how worrying it was that we would jump streight from a world war into a cold war.
cdn.theatlantic.com/.../main_900.jpg

[sherbearee]

No.. I've never seen that one. I think of
www.istantidigitali.com/.../...-in-normandia-4.jpg

[ThePragmaticRomantic]

Fair enough. If you are looking at iconic photos of ww2 beach landings though, may I direct your attention to Captain "Mad Jack" Churchhil. Seen here charging up a beach sword in hand. He also apparently has the only confirmed kill from WW2 with a long bow.
warfarehistorynetwork.com/.../...ning-Exercise.jpg

[sherbearee]

oh wow, thanks.

[KDA20]

There was a similar article in a newspaper I just read photos included
(1) Just in case it wasn't allowed I won't link it but everyone knows the pic - The naked girl fleeing the napalm in the Vietnam war.
(2) Again I don't want to upset anyone the pictures taken at the liberation of Aushwitcz concentration camp at the end of world war 2.
Your take does prove the saying " A picture is worth a thousand words ".

[ConfusedGrocer]

Not allowing a historical picture because the girl is naked? This enrages me. People are so weird.

[KDA20]

@ConfusedGrocer It was a personal decision rather than any influence from admin - It is better to be safe than sorry possibly I was way too cautious

[NearlyNapping]

I remember 2,3,5 and 6.

The burning monks used to freak me out. That picture is famous, but there were several burnings. It was just part of the larger chaos during that period. Another memorable picture during the Vietnam War was the little girl running down the street in terror.

I always loved that first picture. Not just the subject, but the quality of the photograph is amazing.

[sherbearee]

Yeah, I've heard of various cases of self-immolation... they date back ages ago..
Yup, that's a significant picture as well.
and me too, I find the quality of the picture surprising, considering the time it was taken.

[CourtJester]

Woah Sheree. You've been cranking out mytakes. Awesome!😄😄😄 and what impact did these photos have... just amazing.

[sherbearee]

Haha thanks man :D over half the takes i've written were based off school topics - studying yaknow xD

[GirlScout]

It speaks for itself...

https://i67.tinypic.com/2mr8t3r.jpg[/IMG]

[MysteriousFlower]

Wow, they are disturbing photos. Never seen any of them, maybe the sailor photo vaguely.

[Phoenix98]

V-J Day in Times Square (Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1945)
Is one of my favorites along with one of woman kissing soldiers and sailors as they deported our shores to fight in Europe against Nazi Germany.

[sherbearee]

Oh, i haven't seen that second one... cool

[Thor696]

That's a great roundup!

[sherbearee]

thank you!

[zombiebabe]

great take... even if all of the pictures have a sad story behind them :'(

[sherbearee]

thank you :) and yes... They do... but I guess thats why they're iconic reminders

[zombiebabe]

true!

[Shaft50]

Very thought provoking

[sherbearee]

glad you think so:)

[Anonymous]

Actually the first one is a woman watching in fear as the Oklahoma dust bowl starts to cloud the sky.