traces: the most unforgettable photographs and images of all time
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"A photograph is not only an image (as a painting is an image), an interpretation of the real; it is also a trace, something directly stencilled off the real, like a footprint or a death mask."
- Susan Sontag, US writer
Photographs are not just captured singular moments that serve as reminders of what came to pass. More than this, they are portals to stories that sometimes eloquent words cannot tell - and we walk off somehow different, somehow changed.
Below are some of the most unforgettable and powerful images captured on film. And they, unlike those who view them, shall not come to pass.
loch ness monster
This hoax picture of the mythical Loch Ness monster (or Nessie) first appeared in 1934. It is generally attributed to Robert Kenneth Wilson who originally claimed authorship.
migrant mother
One of photojournalist Dorothea Lange's most enduring photographs, this was taken in 1935 during her efforts to document (as commissioned by the US Farm Security Administration) migrant workers' plight amidst the impact of the Great Depression.
raising the flag on iwo jima
This is actually the second photograph taken of the American flag raising on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945 - the first one was taken two hours earlier. This photograph by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal shows the Marines with the second, larger flag.
vj day
A sailor kissing a nurse during Veterans Day celebrations in 1945 taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt. The location has been identified as the small island where Broadway and 7th Avenue meet in New York City.
marilyn monroe
This is one of the many unforgetable photographs taken of Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Seven Year Itch in 1954. Matthew Zimmerman was one of the photographers who went to the corner of Lexington Avenue and 52nd Street, New York City and captured the "billowing skirt over a subway grating" moment.
dorothy counts
Douglas Martin of the Associated Press took this picture of 15-year old Dorothy Counts on her first day of school at the all-white Harry Harding High School in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1957. The torment suffered by Counts led her family to pull her out of the school four days later.
first view of the earth from the moon
Man got his first glimpse of the the Earth in 1968. Astronauts on the Apollo 8 space mission took this photogtraph as they orbited the moon. A lump formed in my throat when I first saw this image.
abbey road album cover
Arguably the most famous and most copied album cover in the history of music recording, this was taken in 1969 by Iain Macmillan. The location, particularly the zebra crossing, remains to be a popular destination for Beatles fans.
vietnam girl
This Pulitzer Prize-winning picture of Kim Phuc was taken by Nick Ut in 1972. Kim, along with her brothers, was running from her village after a napalm attack.
afghan girl
Taken in 1984 by National Geographic's Steve McCurry in a makeshift school within a refugee camp in Nasir Bagh, this photograph has become the most popular symbol of the Afghan conflicts in the 1980s and the publication itself named it as its "most recognized photograph". The girl in the picture is Sharbat Gula.
ethiopian girl
This was taken from a CBC documentary video by Tony Burman shown at the Live Aid fundraising concerts in 1985. The image of Birhan Woldu as a starving child, near death, became the iconic symbol of the fight against famine. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said it changed his life.
demi moore, vanity fair cover
In August 1991, seven months pregnant actress Demi Moore appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair photographed by Annie Leibovitz. The image was both hailed as a celebration of motherhood and empowerment and criticised for promoting sexual objectification.
oklahoma city bombing
This photograph of a fireman cradling a wounded infant was taken in 1995 by amateur photographer Charles Porter. This image won for Porter a Pulitzer Prize.
9/11
A hijacked passenger jet crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001 fifteen minutes after another hijacked jet crashed into the north tower. Both the skyscrapers collapsed and about 3,000 were killed. It has been the biggest act of terrorism against the US.
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Comments
most of the photographs here indeed touch the heart... but they are thought provoking too. as ive always said, take the good with the bad and learn from it. the follies of man, no matter how tragic, could be used as pivot points from where we could start to learn and even change. thanks for dropping by... making people sad is the least of my intentions when i made this hub.
Yes, these are WoWs...blasts from the past.
Great collection.
Thanks for dropping by, just like you said :D
How you ever chose these from the thousands of iconic photos of the previous century and this one is mind-boggling. But I *was* surprised, since you included the Beatles album cover, that the girl holding her friend's body after the Kent State massacre wasn't one of them.
When I was putting together this hub, I was trying to (ambitious though it may sound) include at least one of everything - from the nostalgic, to the powefully charged, to those that would somehow put a smile on the viewer's face - to show that not is all bad. thanks for the comment, it's much appreciated :D
Cris, to me, you did exactly what you intended. I felt every single emotion possible. The Beatles picture gave me a warm nostalgic feeling, the sailor kissing a nurse made me laugh, the ethiopian girl made me tear up, and so on. I didn't think it was possible to feel so many emotions so quickly.
The thing that always gets me with pictures are people's eyes, like the eyes of the afghan girl which absolutely halted me and held me captive for several minutes. The eyes of the migrant mother show such immense pain that it's almost difficult to look at her. A person's eyes in any picture shows so much.
Wonderful and stunning hub! :)
thanks Pam! you could just imagine what i went through looking at these pictures and those that I have half-heartedly not included. Really, i was taken for a rollercoaster ride - with all those emotions!
The Afghan girl did and still is making an impact around the world due to the very reason you described. She's is haunting! National Geographic released a docu on the photog's journey back to Afghanistan to look for her. I have seen it and I highly recommend it.
Thanks for your inspiring comments :D
Thank you for this wonderful hub Cris. I had seen most of the photograhs but, it was a treasure to view them again. I think they are a poignant collection of the human presence.
i'm glad you enjoyed the pictures despite the tone of most of the pics. thanks for dropping by :D
This collection of photos is absolutely amazing! Might I ask how you chose these specific photos?
These are pictures our children and their children should all know about.
Hi Proud Mom
Glad you liked the pictures here. These were chosen based on my memory of them - they are the ones that stood out the most when i was putting this hub together. Truly unforgettable.
By all means, share these to your children and other children as well so they, too, won't forget. Thanks for dropping by :D
Very good hub, Cris. I remember so many of those photos... first hand. I was expecting, because it's always stood out in my memory, the shot of the vietnamese (I think) man being shot in the head. But, thank you for not including it. It's SO disturbing.
hi constant (not your real name! LOL),
basing from your description i think i remember the picture. but i guess violence is well represented here - we all know what it's like. if only we learn from them. thanls for dropping by and i appreciate your comment :D
Nope, not my real name, but wouldn't it be cool if it was? It's more of a description... possibly my Iroquois name. Can I do that, if I really am part Iroquois?
Hmm... I'll have to check that out.
Do you have reason to believe that you are part Iroquois? I thought you derived your name from the ralph fiennes movie, only he was a gardener! :D
My Grandmother, on my father's side, was full-blooded, duaghter of a Chief. dad was half. The hub name really is a description - I'm a walking fool, but the movie title helped me come up with it.
Wow that's great! I'm impressed! What I know about Native American tribes are what I've seen in movies - needless to say, not a lot! - i mean the custom in giving names, the matrilineal society etc. You should be proud, that's quite a history your family has! :D
Cris! This is possibly the best hub in the history of pictoral hubs. Very great choice of pics, although some are disturbing they need to be in the forefront of the world. ...
'A Wow collection' to be sure regards Zsuzsy
Thanks, I'm proud of it. Dad was also half Scottish. It's just as interesting on my mother's side: German. Her grandparents were "people of money" (as I've heard them described) and escaped from Hitler's Germany.
My late father told me once that my Scottish lineage traces back to Robert the Bruce (the young King in Braveheart), but I take that with a grain of salt. Although I've found some verification of it in an online lineage search, I'm sure millions of other Scottish descendants could find the same thing.
thanks for the compliment Zsuzsy! it surely validates the long hours i spent on putting together this hub. As for the distrubing images, they should be taken as reminders of what we don't want to see happening again - ever!
thanks again for your gracious comment! :D
Constant (your Iroquois name!)
and if you go back a little further, you might find us descending from the same tree! LOL
anyways, it's great knowing one's genealogical background, makes one proud of his roots which somehow strengthens the tie that binds. btw, what was your grandmother's Iroquois name? if you don't mind of course :D
I agree. If one were to go back far enough, everyone on Earth is related.
Knowing those things about my family history does affect the way I think of myself. I'm always trying to live up to it... hence my favorite quote; "Nobility is not a birth right. It is defined by our actions."
I don't know anything else about that side of my family, unfortunately. I had very little contact with them. My parents divorced when I was two weeks old and my mother and I flew out to California (from Ohio), where I was raised. I only knew my father for about a year before he died.
Yes, we are a proof of our ancestors' history, aren't we? Maybe it's the right time for you to look back at the other side and get to know more about them, beyond the names and faces. And more than making for a great hub, i somehow feel there's a sense of completion for you.
I really appreciate your sharing all this. Thanks :D
Chris, I've been seen sick in bed for a week now, had enough strength to get on line and glad to see you're still at work! Good job with powerful pics, and now I think what have I been crying about all week? I've gone through nothing. Time to get up.
and i thought you're taking the holidays to heart too much! LOL what were you down with? bet it involved Mama G and violence, told you to be careful! LOL
each of us has a burden to carry that not all the world needs to know, but it sure makes things easier when you get to realize how much other people had to give.
that said, get your lazy fat ass off the bed - the holidays are over, mister! LOL welcome back! :D
Thou art a perceptive individual, a "Fart-Smeller" if you will. And you're right. That sense of "completion" was a long time coming.
A hub? Possibly.
no i won't. perceptiveness has nothing to do with smelling fart - you may be as dense as the Amazon Rainforest and still pick up an unfortunate change in the air! LOL
yes, this screams H-U-B! :D
Funny! You might not be aware of that old Oakey saying (I'm ashamed I do!)? Switch the "F" and the "Sm" around. It's incredible dumb, I know, but still makes me giggle.
"H-U-B"? Still don't know. I avoid doing those kind of highly personal hubs. Although I've done a few of them already, those I've done pretty much wrote themselves in my brain and screamed at me until I published them.
No I was not aware but I am now, so okay i'm a Fart-Smeller! LOL
No pressure on the H-U-B. It's your story you decide what to do with it (but I won't mind an e-mail! LOL)
Wonderful, wonderful pix! I love photography, though I'm not that good at it myself. I love old photos in particular - Dorothea Lange, Bresson and that generation of photographers.
Photos have a way of speaking rather directly, as the quote from Sontag implies - they are traces.
That's why I don't much like the manipulated photos doen with Photoshop and the rest. They seem to me to be somehow fake, although I do appreciate the techinical wizardry. And I also acknowledge that photographers have always manipulated their pix, like Man Ray and others. But somehow their manipulations were more real, or did not destroy the essential elements of the images the way Photoshopping does.
Anyway those are my thoughts, for wehat they're worth!
Loved the pix.
Love and peace,
Tony
These pictures each capture one second in time that will never be again. That is the amazing part of a photo to me. You've put together an excellent hub.
Karen
i share your sentiments with regards to photography in the past. the awe is just now the same when you know for a fact that enhancements were done digitally - they somehow make less of the photographer and more of the technology. anyway, thanks for dropping by :D
Hi Karen - i do hope that some of the pictures here will never be again! although i won't mind seeing another Marilyn Monroe or a new Beatles :D thanks for the comment, it is much appreciated :D
-Cris, I keep forgetting to mention: I read the 1984 issue of National Geographic (I've always loved the mag) and was completely blown away by the eyes of the "Afghan Girl" and had the photo framed and hanging on my wall for the longest time. My friends we going, "Wow! Where'd you get that picture?!"
Good for you! bet it's a collectors' item by now! I however was able to purchase the documentary about her on DVD. Really quite a compelling story behind those eyes! :D
I liked the sailor kissing the nurse, then I scrool down and decided I like the earth then I scrolled down and decided, I like them all.
Great Photos!
I'm glad you liked each and every one of the pictures here! thanks for taking a peek! :D
These are powerful photos good work!
thanks for visiting this hub :D
I'm glad I found your hubs. This one is excellent -- good photos are like good poems, aren't they? They can shock and punch the viewer. I do like the order in which you presented them, contrasting different images with different moments in history (The Abbey Road photo followed by Viet Nam, for example).
Happy New Year, Cris!
Teresa, thanks for the compliment. Well, i didn't wanna dwell too much on the negative imageries so I showed some that could make one smile :D
It is great to review those stunning photos in the first day of the year of 2009. Happy New Year, Cris.
yes, aren't they all inspiring despite some of them being gloomy? Happy New Year to you too! :D
Beautiful Chris! I teared up looking at these. Especially Oklahoma city, as it happened during my time... when I was an adult and old enough to feel and understand what was going on.
I actually had the privelage to meet the sailor in the vj day photo about a year and a half ago. Or atleast one of the men who claim to be the kissing sailor. He was quite convincing though, I must say. His name is Ken McNeel. www.kissingsailor.com if anyone finds themselves interested in his story.
He's an old lonely man now... has lost his children and his wife, but he has the honor of being a part of American history and nothing can take that away.
Thanks for the compliment! What a wonderful story - meeting the soldier on the pic although i did read somewhere that many men and women claimed that they were the nurse and solider in the pic. Thanks for sharing this interesting info and for passing by of course :D
Wow, this hub should be read by history teachers everywhere, to mention a sector among other sectors who'll benefit from this hub. Seeing the Ethiopian girl Birhan Woldu having survived the famine gives me a sense of relief. Sharbat Gula's picture as a grown up gives me goose bumps. Dorothy Counts gives a face to the civil rights movement in the US and brings me to the story of Martin Luther King. The Beatles....oh, who can't remember the Beatles from my generation that 4 years ago when I had that rare chance to visit Liverpool, what else did I think but a must-visit landmark - Beatles Museum.
Every single photo here represents an era, a perspective, an icon, a view of the world. Great hub, Cris. Thanks for this labor of love.
Does it show? I mean that this is a labor of love? LOL thanks francia for visiting, i'm always at awe of anything you write. Do come by more often :D
I'm with you all the way on this one. I have a photography tips blog and put up photos from around the world, daily, mostly from Reuters. Some of you may like to have a look at them sometime.
I'm glad you share my thoughts on this hub. And thanks for the link, it sure sounds interesting :D
fascinating, thank you!
thanks for dropping a line, londongirl :D
I echo ZsuZsy's and franciaonlines' comments. They express my feelings and thoughts about this Hub so well.
Anyone who wants to do a *picture gallery* format of a Hub should use this one as the model. It's outstanding.
Thanks Sally, I appreaciate the comments - my efforts have been rewarded :D
Hi Cris, photographs speak a lot. What a poignant, heartwarming, heartwrenching, aching, sentimental, thought provoking photos (I'm going through my roller coaster emotional ride now). This must have been a challenge putting together all this photos in one place. But I'm glad you did. :-)
Wow that was some roller coaster! LOL yep it was indeed a challenge but one which I thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks fro dropping by Michelle :D
Rolling now and then is healthy for the soul LOL So it is my pleasure to be here.
No, it's my pleasure that you go this way every now and then so thank you :D
Yes indeed, that did sound like a Rick Astley song. he stole it from somewhere. when he speaks for himself, notice all the misspellings and jumbled grammar.
Yes I went over to his hubs when you hinted at it! It made me stop short of enlightening him about The Sound and the Fury as it would be an effort in futility! Besides you already had dela hoya by the balls! LOL
oh well, I'm sure we'll run into him again, Its late over here, the kid is up, he fell asleep too early and so he's up now playing mario kart. Its okay, I took a good nap this afternoon, so I'm a hangin'.
good for you. btw, what time do you have there? i can't seem to come to terms with the timezones. my clock says it's 6:30 here, the sun has been gone for over an hour now.
I got 2:30 AM.
Sheesh... i'm having vertigo! LOL
These photos have lasting impression. It is so true what they say about a picture is worth a thousand words. Thanks for compiling such a beautiful photo collection hub. Thumbs up.
Yes I agree, sometimes words are not enough. Or in this case, no word is needed. Thanks for dropping by :D
wow. I really enjoyed how you added in photos of the people 'now', it reassured me that they are now okay. Please tell me the infant is alive still that was in the city bombing picture? : (
Mella
I'm sorry but the 1-year old baby girl died soon after the picture was taken. Her name was Baylee Almon. Her mother founded Protecting People First Foundation. Btw,the fireman's name is Chris Fields.
: ( Yep. Here come the water works. Man, I got so nervous when I saw that it was the only pic without an updated photo of her now. That is so sad... so sad. Thanks for the update though, even though it was a sad update. :'(
at the risk of being perceived as harbinger of bad news who enjoys what he does, I say you're welcome
Though it's redundant, I have to say this was excellent-- even though I have seen all of the photos many times before.
A word of affirmation is always appreciated. Thanks for dropping by :D
Those are some really great pictures. Thanks man.
Thanks for dropping a line benji :D
You're a popular man I see, but nonetheless I had to leave a comment. Glad I dropped by to see this article for myself. Words cannot describe and I'm glad to have been pointed in this direction! AWESOME!!
Thank you for telling me about this hub. As you can see, I came a-lookin'. Hehe
These are very emotional photographs! A beautiful, eclectic assortment. Some of the "tragedy" photographs reminded me of a book of photos I saw by photographer Robert Polidori. "After the Flood" is a documentation of the aftermath of Hurricain Katrina on New Orleans and contains some very profound images!
Chrissy
What a flattering thing to say - but i think it's just my being all over the place everytime! LOL Anyway, glad you like this hub :D
JamHan
You are right about the images. Thanks for sharing the link. I'm familiar with face of tragedy but it still tugs at the heart everytime. Thanks for dropping by :D
Marvellous Hub Cris, left me in loads of tears, especially remembering 9/11. I don't think I will ever get over that tragedy and watching the hours of TV footage and hearing the voices of people trapped in the towers phoning their loved ones answerphones. Very sad, but important we never forget!
hey cindy
i'm sorry if this made you cry - but i know they are "good tears". Yes you are right, we should never ever forget. Thanks for dropping by :D
Thanks Cris, for keeping these important memories alive.
My pleasure Cindy :D
I'm disturbed and sad now.
Oops i'm sorry but that was not the intention of this hub but i understand why :D
Nice hub..I love collecting photos too.
it's nice to know we share the same interest. thanks for dropping a line :D
Great hub Cris, I couldn't have done it better myself. Being both a photography buff and wannabe photog, I greatly admire those that not only capture those incredible one-of-a-kinds but those who can recognize and appreciate true works of art. I still have that Nat Geo magazine with the Afgan girl back at home, she was startled by the cameraman and in that fraction of a moment he was able to capture real emotion and fear in her eyes- one of my favs no doubt.
TEARS FOR SURE! THE FIREMAN PICTURE I REMEMbER COMING ON OUR TELEVISION SCREEN LIKE IT WASYESTERDAY. ITS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT DEF STICK! THANKS FOR THIS HUb!
Thanks Noctur, glad you liked this. Really? you have the NG mag? I envy you then as it is one of my favourite images too. I hope you've seen the NG docu about her. It's really very inspirational and touching. Thanks for dropping by :D
Hey Eyes,
Nice to see you here. I'm sorry about the tears but thanks for dropping by :D
You've some very famous shots there, Cris
yes they are quite popular indeed. thanks for dropping by :D
Very powerful HUB! Thank you! :)
Thanks for dropping by Suzanne. Glad you liked it :D
Nice collection. These are certainly some of the most powerful images.
I was read a thing on Kim Phuc, very moving indeed.
Yeah her story is very inspiring indeed. Thanks for dropping by :D
Good choices of photographs. My daughter is a photographer.
www.sweetcarolinephoto.com
Dorrene
Yeah the photos here are indeed aweson. I myself don't tire of looking at them. Thanks for dropping by and posting a link to daughter's site. I'll check it out :D
Chris, thanks for sharing these famous remarkable pictures. At first, I had to laugh, with that Nessie pic. You should have ended with that because it was a shock to see the Lock Ness monster then become prgressivly sadder. I am glad you included the grown up picture of Kim Phuc. I remember that picture when I was young and felt so sorry for that poor terrified kid. It's great to see her smiling and chubby and alive.
Dolores
The pictures were arranged chronologically hence, the monster came first. Yes, the pictures may be sad but some remind us that ood things have happened since. Thanks for dropping by :D
The Afghan girl - the first picture, i read "what do you want?" and a inquisitive young face to the world. The second one, i read "You better not want anything." and a face that looks like it's seen too much. I'm probs reading too much into it
I agree, faces do say a lot. especially the eyes. thanks for dropping by and commenting.
kate says:
11 months ago
This made me cry :(