The famous photograph is known under various titles, such as; V-J Day in Times Square, V-Day and The Kiss. It has also been replicated thousands of times.
This photograh was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, of a sailor and a nurse back in August 14th, in the year 1945, when the war ended between Japan, announced that day by President Truman. The photograph was shot just the South of 45th Street, looking North from a loacation where Broadway and Seveneth Avenue were, just after a sea of people flooded the streets.
Because Alfred Eisenstaedt was photographing the event rapidly during these celebrations he didn't get the opportunity to get the names and details of the people he photographed. The photograph doesn't clearly show the faces of the young couple and since the photograph was taken and published several people have claimed to be the subjects of the photograph. There have been many stories coming from people claiming to be the sailor or the nurse. In the late 1970s a woman, Edith Shain came forward and claimed to be the nurse in the photograph, after, several men came forward and claimed to be the sailor in the photograph, to this day we still don't know who the sailor was.
The reason I like this photograph is because it wasn't a planned shoot it was just something spontaneous happening at that moment, and that moment being something worth celebrating. You can tell it was a quick shot as the nurse's hand is slightly blurred, but you can make out nearly perfect of what it is. Another reason I like this photograph is that Alfred Eisenstaedt has captured the moment in great detail, such as the oncoming crowd in the background which shows the further celebration that is coming the photographers way. I think the fact that the sailor and the nurse didn't know each other makes the image more fun and makes you want to know all the why's and what's. I also like how the black from the sailor and the white pureness of the nurse contrast against each other in the foreground and the grey scaled background with the other people in black and white. You can tell it was a spontaneous moment with the crowd applauding and smiling, not that it was just the end of the war but because their eyes are focused on the subject which is the sailor and nurse, kissing.
Alfred Eisenstaedt gave two slightly different stories on the photograph, from both his books called; "From Eisenstaedt on Eisenstaedt" and "From the Eye of Eisenstaedt".
From Eisenstaedt on Eisenstaedt: "In Times Square on V.J. Day I saw a sailor running along the street grabbing any and every girl in sight. Whether she was a grandmother, stout, thin, old, didn't make a difference. I was running ahead of him with my Leica looking back over my shoulder but none of the pictures that were possible pleased me. Then suddenly, in a flash, I saw something white being grabbed. I turned around and clicked the moment the sailor kissed the nurse. If she had been dressed in a dark dress I would never have taken the picture. If the sailor had worn a white uniform, the same. I took exactly four pictures. It was done within a few seconds."
From the Eye of Eisenstaedt: "I was walking through the crowds on V-J Day, looking for pictures. I noticed a sailor coming my way. He was grabbing every female he could find and kissing them all — young girls and old ladies alike. Then I noticed the nurse, standing in that enormous crowd. I focused on her, and just as I'd hoped, the sailor came along, grabbed the nurse, and bent down to kiss her. Now if this girl hadn't been a nurse, if she'd been dressed dark clothes, I wouldn't have had a picture. The contrast between her white dress and the sailor's dark uniform gives the photograph its extra impact."
I have always liked this photograph but after watching the Night of the Museum 2 I suddenly remembered about it. In the film the photograph comes alive and shows the streets are crowded with people not only those who served the country but those who had to deal with it too.
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