Last week at the other blog, I reported the story of Glenn McDuffie, the Houston man who was recently identified as the sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square in the celebrated 1945 Life magazine photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt. The picture seen and recognized by millions, is an historical moment captured by a photographer's lens, marking the end of World War II.
Upon being identified, McDuffie, who had served in the US Navy during WWII, described what the day was like when he went into Times Square with a couple of his buddies and later bussed the nurse in celebration.
On Aug. 14, 1945, he was in Times Square when the word came.
"When I got off from the subway, a lady told me the war was over, and I went into the street yelling. I saw the nurse and she was smiling at me, so I just grabbed her," McDuffie said. "But we never spoke." .....
In addition, Gibson (the forensic artist who identified McDuffy) said she "always wondered" about one aspect of the Eisenstaedt image: Why was the sailor's arm crooked in such an odd way? Only McDuffie could provide the answer, she said.
"I was kissing her, and then I heard someone running up. So, I realized there was someone taking our picture. I moved my hand so that the nurse's face would show," McDuffie said.
Hmm. So, they never spoke (not even a "Thank you Ma'am!") and McDuffy positioned his arm so the nurse's face would show in the picture? Certainly looks like he was showboating and there was a certain amount of calculation in the pose which is widely interpreted as a spontaneous celebration. Also it appears that the nurse in the photo was not McDuffy's first target of affectionate display - he was on a kissing spree that day. He had gone around Times Square grabbing and kissing several women before the memorable photographic moment. Also, it is reported that the nurse SLAPPED HIM after they disengaged from the embrace. Does explain why they never talked. [Link: Namit Arora]
(The link at the end of the post opens to a page called the Images That (supposedly) Changed the World. The page is a bit iffy - the images are sometimes visible and sometimes not. Click to find out if you can see them. The picture of the Kiss in Times Square is called V-J Day, Times Square, [1945] . It is halfway down the page.)
On the same page I came across a portrait of Winston Churchill taken by photographer Yousuf Karsh. The portrait reminded me of an ancient pen and pencil sketch of Churchill I had made ages ago. I am posting both portraits below for your critical viewing.
Nicely done sketch. It certainly captures well -- to use VP's famous words on Churchill -- the "boneheaded imperialist" in him, not to mention the "pompous, self-promoting windbag" aspect of his personality :-) Do you recall what inspired you to do his sketch?
Posted by: Namit | August 09, 2007 at 03:57 AM
Do you recall what inspired you to do his sketch?
I actually do. And as you might guess, it had nothing to do with my admiration for the "boneheaded imperialist".... "pompous, self-promoting windbag."
I had just participated in a major wall to wall exhibition for the English Dept. of my college for which some of us were commissioned to make poster sized portraits of several English and American literary figures. We basically copied on a large scale, the thumb nail pictures available in text books. It was quite a bit of fun.
After that experience of successful portrait drawing, I proceeded to make more sketches, in note books and on loose paper, of well known figures who I thought possessed "interesting" faces. I remember drawing Tagore, Lenin, Abraham Lincoln, Mao, Sojourner Truth among others, as also a pretty good likeness of the young Amitabh Bachchan. Bachchan had just taken us young women for quite a charming ride with his histrionics in "Anand" and we were ready to drop Rajesh Khanna like a hot potato. (I never did like R.K. much - preferred Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar during those days.)
Churchill, with his "Bulldog" face qualified as "interesting" and was included in my choice of subjects. Unfortunately I have lost the other drawings but Churchill the Windbag, for some reason is still with me.
Posted by: Ruchira Paul | August 09, 2007 at 05:31 AM
Yes, excellent sketch, Ruchira!
About the sailor: I am struck immediately by the alarm in the nurse's body language when I see the photo and I always found it interesting that others saw it as a picture of celebration. While the sailor's identity has been a matter of interested speculation over the years, the nurse seems to be regarded as a prop in the photo. And all this sailor can say about her is that they "never spoke"—not a word about her reaction.
Posted by: Usha | August 09, 2007 at 07:59 PM
Ruchira, you liked Dharmendra? Oh, my. After so many illustrations of good taste comes this confounding revelation! :-)
Posted by: Namit | August 09, 2007 at 09:58 PM
Hey, what does "good taste" have anything to do with liking Dharmendra? Are we women not entitled to our share of "himbos?" My mother, a woman of impeccable taste, used to drool over Dev Anand!
Posted by: Ruchira Paul | August 09, 2007 at 11:24 PM
Hmm. I think a part my resistance to him came from the fact that he always got the girl too easily (though on one occasion he was willing to jump to his death for it). :-) By the way, when Dharmendra campaigned for a Lok Sabha seat from Bikaner on a BJP ticket, he was repeatedly asked to deliver the choicest dialogues from Sholay.
Posted by: Namit | August 10, 2007 at 04:05 AM
Hi i am afetr the ornament of the sailors picture for my dad as the one he had recently has been damaged if any one knows where i can get this from can they contact me on [email protected] thanks
Posted by: Tilly | September 28, 2007 at 04:01 PM