Malcolm Browne captured the image of Thic Quang Duc, a war-torn Southeast Asia nation, immolating himself on a Saigon Street in June 1963. The iconic image sparked a protest against the treatment of Buddhists by President Ngo Dinh Diem. President Kennedy later commented that news picture in history has generated much emotion. Browne’s photo forced people to question the U.S.’s association with Diem’s, leading to the Administration’s decision not to interfere with a coup the November.
Dalí Atomicus, Philippe Halsman, 1948
Philippine Halsman’s life’s work was inspired by Salvador Dalí’s painting Leda Atomica, inspiring him to capture the essence of his photographs. He created an elaborate scene to surround Dalí, where he threw three cats and a bucket of water into the air while Dalí leaped up, taking 26 takes to capture a composition that satisfied him. This resulted in the artist even painting an image directly onto the print before publication, creating a sense of detachment between the photographer and the subject. His approach to portrait photography was to bring subjects such as Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe and Alfred Hitchcock into sharp focus, redefining the concept of portrait photography and inspiring generations of photographers to collaborate with their subjects.
Bloody Saturday, H.s. Wong, 1937
H.S. Wong, a photographer for Hearst Metrotone News, saw the aftermath of an August 28 attack by Japanese bombers in Shanghai and captured a wailing Chinese baby. His image of the wounded, helpless infant was sent to New York and featured in Hearst newsreels, newspapers and life magazine, where it was viewed by 136 million people and transformed into one of the most powerful news pictures of all time. Wong’s picture led the U.S., Britain and France to formally protest the attack and helped shift Western sentiment in favor of wading into what would become the world’s second great war.
