Post by Neko Bazu on Feb 29, 2008 9:38:07 GMT -1
Following it being mentioned on Steve's Random And Often Belligerent Journal (to which I subscribe), I have a question for you guys. What do you think was the greatest/most iconic picture of the last century? Here's a very short list of nominations from me - feel free to add your own!
Tiananmen Square's 'Tank Man'
This one was nominated by the afore-mentioned Steve. One of the most famous pictures in history, capturing the moment one man became a hero in the eyes of millions across the world, daring to defy a column of tanks and insisting they turn back instead of going on to massacre the students protesting in Tiananmen Square.
Vietnam Napalm
One of the most enduring images to emerge from the Vietnam war, showing people fleeing their homes after their village was hit by a napalm bomb. The girl in the middle of the image, Phan Thi Kim Phúc, had her clothes burnt off by the napalm and suffered injuries so bad that hospital officials determined she wouldn't survive. After 14 months and 17 surgical procedures, however, she was released, and is still alive today.
Arbeit Macht Frei
One of the most infamous phrases to emerge from WW2, 'Arbeit Macht Frei' ("Work frees") adorned the gates of the Nazi concentration camps. This image in particular shows the phrase on Auschwitz-Birkenau's gate; the largest of all the concentration and death camps.
The Gates To Hell
Perhaps the fact that not one, but two of the most famous images of WW2 come from Auschwitz give some impression of the significance of the camp. This image shows the train tracks leading into Birkenau - the death camp area of Auschwitz. Over one million people passed through this gate and were later put to death.
This image in particular has been reproduced many times, as a google image search for 'auschwitz gate to hell' will testify.
Kobe Earthquake
On January 17th, 1995, Kobe in Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the richter scale. The quake itself lasted 20 seconds, killed over 6,400 people, and caused over US$200billion damage, rendering it the costliest natural disaster recorded. The image above is, I feel, a particularly potent reminder of the awesome power of nature.
Also of note is a picture of the destruction caused to Yokohama following the 1923 Great Kantou earthquake, found here. I haven't included this in the list, however, as it is far less iconic than the one above.
Nagasaki bombing, 1945
At the time, nothing like the mushroom cloud had ever been seen by the general public. It was a suitably awesome image for the power unleashed below. On August 6, a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and three days later a second bomb exploded 500 meters above the ground in Nagasaki. The blast wind, heat rays reaching several thousand degrees and radiation destroyed anything even remotely nearby, killing or injuring as many as 150,000 at the time, and more later.
Earthrise
Finishing on a more pleasant image (amazing how the most powerful images are those of atrocities, isn't it?), the late adventure photographer Galen Rowell called this image “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken.” Captured on Christmas Eve, 1968, near the end of one of the most tumultuous years the U.S. had ever known, the Earthrise photograph inspired contemplation of our fragile existence and our place in the cosmos.
Tiananmen Square's 'Tank Man'
This one was nominated by the afore-mentioned Steve. One of the most famous pictures in history, capturing the moment one man became a hero in the eyes of millions across the world, daring to defy a column of tanks and insisting they turn back instead of going on to massacre the students protesting in Tiananmen Square.
Vietnam Napalm
One of the most enduring images to emerge from the Vietnam war, showing people fleeing their homes after their village was hit by a napalm bomb. The girl in the middle of the image, Phan Thi Kim Phúc, had her clothes burnt off by the napalm and suffered injuries so bad that hospital officials determined she wouldn't survive. After 14 months and 17 surgical procedures, however, she was released, and is still alive today.
Arbeit Macht Frei
One of the most infamous phrases to emerge from WW2, 'Arbeit Macht Frei' ("Work frees") adorned the gates of the Nazi concentration camps. This image in particular shows the phrase on Auschwitz-Birkenau's gate; the largest of all the concentration and death camps.
The Gates To Hell
Perhaps the fact that not one, but two of the most famous images of WW2 come from Auschwitz give some impression of the significance of the camp. This image shows the train tracks leading into Birkenau - the death camp area of Auschwitz. Over one million people passed through this gate and were later put to death.
This image in particular has been reproduced many times, as a google image search for 'auschwitz gate to hell' will testify.
Kobe Earthquake
On January 17th, 1995, Kobe in Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the richter scale. The quake itself lasted 20 seconds, killed over 6,400 people, and caused over US$200billion damage, rendering it the costliest natural disaster recorded. The image above is, I feel, a particularly potent reminder of the awesome power of nature.
Also of note is a picture of the destruction caused to Yokohama following the 1923 Great Kantou earthquake, found here. I haven't included this in the list, however, as it is far less iconic than the one above.
Nagasaki bombing, 1945
At the time, nothing like the mushroom cloud had ever been seen by the general public. It was a suitably awesome image for the power unleashed below. On August 6, a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and three days later a second bomb exploded 500 meters above the ground in Nagasaki. The blast wind, heat rays reaching several thousand degrees and radiation destroyed anything even remotely nearby, killing or injuring as many as 150,000 at the time, and more later.
Earthrise
Finishing on a more pleasant image (amazing how the most powerful images are those of atrocities, isn't it?), the late adventure photographer Galen Rowell called this image “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken.” Captured on Christmas Eve, 1968, near the end of one of the most tumultuous years the U.S. had ever known, the Earthrise photograph inspired contemplation of our fragile existence and our place in the cosmos.
