Iconic Photographs: Tank Man

(Click mon photos to enlarge).

A photograph may be iconic for being a memorable moment frozen in time, or because it is a significant first or records a historic event, or simply because it has developed a popular awareness for some reason. There are a myriad reasons as to why a photograph comes to be regarded as iconic.

One photograph has developed such a status by recording a brief moment of courage by an unknown, ordinary individual, a moment of inspiration in history.

At time when protests against governments have spread from Egypt to other middle east countries, it is worth reflecting on such earlier events.

Iconic Photographs: J P Morgan

Having had a lifelong interest in photographs and photography, I am fascinated by photographs that have come to be regarded as iconic for one reason or another.

One such photograph is that taken of American financier, banker and art collector John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) by Edward Steichen.

Before looking at that photograph, which appears later in this post, it is necessary to know something of the life of J P Morgan.

(Click on photographs to enlarge).

Photographs: Afghan Girl

In 1985 National Geographic featured a cover photo by Steve McCurry of a 12 year old girl with striking eyes who came to be known simply as Afghan Girl, the title of the photo in the magazine. Her name and identity were unknown. McCurry had taken her photograph (the first time she had been photographed) in a refugee camp in Pakistan after she had walked overland for 2 weeks from Afghanistan. She had been orphaned as a result of an attack by Soviet gunships on her village. The photo became a symbol of the Afghan conflict and the plight of refugees worldwide.

In 2002 National Geographic sent a team to seek to locate the girl, which they eventually did in a remote part of Afghanistan. Her name was Sharbat Gula (meaning “Rose Sherbet”), she had left the refugee camp in 1992 and was now married with 3 daughters. Iris scanning established that she was the same person as in the 1984 photograph, necessary in that various other persons had also claimed to be her National Geographic ran a story about her in a 2002 issue and set up a charitable fund for educating young Afghan girls, later varied to also include young boys.