Historical images - Images that made history

[Maxxicus Callahan]

Fire Escape Collapse​

Stanley Forman
1975

Stanley Forman was working for the Boston Herald American on July 22, 1975, when he got a call about a fire on Marlborough Street. He raced over in time to see a woman and child on a fifth-floor fire escape. A fireman had set out to help them, and Forman figured he was shooting another routine rescue. “Suddenly the fire escape gave way,” he recalled, and Diana Bryant, 19, and her goddaughter Tiare Jones, 2, were swimming through the air. “I was shooting pictures as they were falling—then I turned away. It dawned on me what was happening, and I didn’t want to see them hit the ground. I can still remember turning around and shaking.” Bryant died from the fall, her body cushioning the blow for her goddaughter, who survived. While the event was no different from the routine tragedies that fill the local news, Forman’s picture of it was. Using a motor-drive camera, Forman was able to freeze the horrible tumbling moment down to the expression on young Tiare’s face. The photo earned Forman the Pulitzer Prize and led municipalities around the country to enact tougher fire-escape-safety codes. But its lasting legacy is as much ethical as temporal. Many readers objected to the publication of Forman’s picture, and it remains a case study in the debate over when disturbing images are worth sharing.

 

[shameful existence]

A young German woman, beaten and raped, filmed by an allied soldier in May 1945 near Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, when trying to cross the demarcation line to escape the Red Army. There's a lot of speculation online about her identity (still unresolved, as far as I know), status (most people seem to think, based mostly on her trousers, she was some sort of uniformed personnel), or her life after the war. Due to her loose hair and clothing, she looks very contemporary - which is what I think made her stand out from all the post-war footage.

 

[Gunga Dan]

Bloody Saturday, 1937​

Spoiler

The same imperialistic desires festering in Europe in the 1930s had already swept into Asia. Yet many Americans remained wary of wading into a conflict in what seemed a far-off, alien land. But that opinion began to change as Japan’s army of the Rising Sun rolled toward Shanghai in the summer of 1937. Fighting started there in August, and the unrelenting shelling and bombing caused mass panic and death in the streets. But the rest of the world didn’t put a face to the victims until they saw the aftermath of an August 28 attack by Japanese bombers. When H.S. Wong, a photographer for Hearst Metrotone News nicknamed Newsreel, arrived at the destroyed South Station, he recalled carnage so fresh “that my shoes were soaked with blood.”


In the midst of the devastation, Wong saw a wailing Chinese baby whose mother lay dead on nearby tracks. He said he quickly shot his remaining film and then ran to carry the baby to safety, but not before the boy’s father raced over and ferried him away. Wong’s image of the wounded, helpless infant was sent to New York and featured in Hearst newsreels, newspapers and life magazine—the widest audience a picture could then have. Viewed by more than 136 million people, it struck a personal chord that transcended ethnicity and geography. To many, the infant’s pain represented the plight of China and the bloodlust of Japan, and the photo dubbed Bloody Saturday was transformed into one of the most powerful news pictures of all time. Its dissemination reveals the potent force of an image to sway official and public opinion. 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.

 

[Mr. ShadowCreek]

The last known photo of the Titanic before it sank a few days later.

April 10, 1912.

 

[BullDogsLipBrandClamjuice]

V-J Day In Times Square, 1945​

View attachment 2135634

according to a friend whos a HS history teacher, a student told her this is "Mouth Rape". You should have heard how disgusted she was describing her students negative reaction. Times are a Changin' I guess...

anyway.. one of the 1st photos of an AK-47 to make it's way to the west. I forgot what uprising this was from. Theres a drawing of a AK some agent drew from memory. It's not a great drawing but it was still interesting to see. I'm sure I have it saved somewhere.

An American G.I. somewhere in the 'Nam. Notice the swastika necklace, though I'm sure it's in a Hindu/Hippie context.

Soviet Partisan somewhere aus ost

A shop owner down in south America before what ever happened a few years back, remember it was teased a few years bak it was ripe for Uncle Sam to change it's Gov?

Some Zippos carried by American G.I.s in "Nam. Not sure if these where recovered and sold in a flea market today or just ones the guys brought back.

This guy's really interesting. I think he was known as "Wild Eye Bill" or something like that. He was an Aussie soldier during the 1st world war who would loot for most anything across the front. From the dead, from POWs, he didnt give a fuck(I know that was pretty common in both world wars), but he made plenty selling the refuse of war to rearline guys. When he went back home after the war he more or less lived in a box on the street. He made a small fence of his war booty, which he sold for booze money and I think died sort of a local legend. Pretty sure His photo and some of his stuff is in a museum down under. It's been a few years since I looked into him so correct me if Im wrong.

An Iraqi on the High Way of Death during the 1st gulf war, which the U.S. rained Hell fire on a high way of fleeing Iraqi Soldiers. Pretty sure it's considered a War Crime but what ya gonna do.

Spoiler: Toasted

Man I'm a bundle of joy when it comes to this thread. I had a 1st Sgt who told me during the Gulf War he patched up an Iraqi POW who had his end trails hanging out with a garbage bag and some duct tape. think he sent him on his merry way after words.. His buddy also ate sun flower seeds for the 1st time on the eve of the invasion, ate them shell and all and wond up shitting blood for the next few days.
Man I hope he's doing alright, hell of a guy.

 

[AnOminous]

Pretty sure it's considered a War Crime but what ya gonna do.

Only people who lose wars committed war crimes.

Image tax. The world's oldest selfie.

Robert Cornelius took this in 1839 and with the method used at the time, had to sit still for a full minute.

 

[Jet Fuel Johnny]

according to a friend whos a HS history teacher, a student told her this is "Mouth Rape". You should have heard how disgusted she was describing her students negative reaction. Times are a Changin' I guess...

View attachment 2140659
anyway.. one of the 1st photos of an AK-47 to make it's way to the west. I forgot what uprising this was from. Theres a drawing of a AK some agent drew from memory. It's not a great drawing but it was still interesting to see. I'm sure I have it saved somewhere.

An American G.I. somewhere in the 'Nam. Notice the swastika necklace, though I'm sure it's in a Hindu/Hippie context.
View attachment 2140671

Those necklaces were usually sold as good luck charms by Vietnamese as you walked down the street.

Guys in The Nam figured they needed all the luck they could get.

An Iraqi on the High Way of Death during the 1st gulf war, which the U.S. rained Hell fire on a high way of fleeing Iraqi Soldiers. Pretty sure it's considered a War Crime but what ya gonna do.
]
Man I'm a bundle of joy when it comes to this thread. I had a 1st Sgt who told me during the Gulf War he patched up an Iraqi POW who had his end trails hanging out with a garbage bag and some duct tape. think he sent him on his merry way after words.. His buddy also ate sun flower seeds for the 1st time on the eve of the invasion, ate them shell and all and wond up shitting blood for the next few days.
Man I hope he's doing alright, hell of a guy.

They named it a war crime after it happened and they largely started screaming about it, ignoring the fact that the "retreating" forces engaged any Coalition forces that attempted to stop them, including firing on helicopters and planes.

It represented a significant amount of Saddam's troops and the worry was that they'd fall back, regroup, and lunge back out, or that they'd scatter into smaller units meaning they'd have to be pried out of various areas.

Eradicating them was absolutely the right call.

If they were retreating, it STILL wasn't illegal to kill them. Even if they're broken, routing, and fleeing, you are allowed to, indeed, by any sense of strategy, you should absolutely follow up that rout and seek to destroy the enemy.

The Geneva Convention prevents killing SURRENDERING troops. Troops who have discarded their weapons and are fleeing are considered de-facto surrendered by the US military, even though some nations still considering them to be routed not surrendered.

https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/27/...he-rules-experts-back-us-on-rules-of-war.html has a good breakdown.

It's called a War Crime by ignorant faggots who consider every time a US soldier shoots a hadji in the face while the fucking mudder is shooting at kids to be a war crime.

Pic Tax:

The Fall of the Berlin Wall, which happened because of a misspeak during a press conference.

That VERY DAY the CIA and Military Intelligence had released statements and warnings that Romania was fine, there was no cracks in the USSR, and that there were odd troop movements. Some units had been put on alert that morning in V Corps and VII Corps.

By midnight, it was nothing but confusion. Nobody was sure what was going on.

It, at one point, came down to a single East German officer. When the crowd was marching on the gate, the East German troops were ready to open fire. When asked if they should, the officer looked at the crowd and issued a stand-down order, and it was all over but the crying.

There was celebrations in the street, in bars, everywhere. American GI's kept getting swept up in hugs with the yells "THE WALL IS DOWN!" in both English and German.

It was one hell of a thing.

 

[AnOminous]

They named it a war crime after it happened and they largely started screaming about it, ignoring the fact that the "retreating" forces engaged any Coalition forces that attempted to stop them, including firing on helicopters and planes.

The entire argument about it actually being a war crime was based on the concept they were "out of combat" and it is against the Geneva Convention to do that, but they actually weren't, so it wasn't. This theory was mainly pimped by far-left Ramsey Clark. You can look him up to see some of the other nonsense he espoused.

It was certainly pretty ugly, but war usually is. That's why we shouldn't have optional wars, like the second Iraq war.

 

[Jet Fuel Johnny]

The entire argument about it actually being a war crime was based on the concept they were "out of combat" and it is against the Geneva Convention to do that, but they actually weren't, so it wasn't. This theory was mainly pimped by far-left Ramsey Clark. You can look him up to see some of the other nonsense he espoused.

It was certainly pretty ugly, but war usually is. That's why we shouldn't have optional wars, like the second Iraq war.

By his reasoning, you can't flank and hit a unit that is not engaged in combat while they reload and refuel, or perform airstrikes/dronestrikes/artillery on any unit not engaged in combat.

And you're right. They weren't "out of combat" by Geneva Convention definitions, although smooth brains argue that they were because they look at the words, not the context or actual definition/meaning of the phrase at it applies to warfare.

The actual definition via the Geneva Convention is:

A person is hors de combat if:
(a) he is in the power of an adverse Party;
(b) he clearly expresses an intention to surrender; or
(c) he has been rendered unconscious or is otherwise incapacitated by wounds or sickness, and therefore is incapable of defending himself; provided that in any of these cases he abstains from any hostile act and does not attempt to escape.

Examples include fighter pilots or aircrews parachuting from their disabled aircraft, as well as the sick, wounded, detained, or otherwise disabled. Persons hors de combat are normally granted special protections according to the laws of war, sometimes including prisoner-of-war status, and therefore officially become non-combatants.

They were not hors de combat because by the definition a lot of people misunderstand, it would be a war crime to shell a REMF unit, engage in sniper attacks, strafe convoys, blow up vehicles with mines, or just do a standard ambush.

They were retreating, some of them performing a fighting retreat by shooting at Coalition troops, but that did not make it so they were immediately non-combatants.

'Out of Combat' is strictly defined. Attacking and then running away does NOT make you 'out of combat' like a lot of people seem to think.

Sorry, just an argument I've had to defend more than a few times.

Pic Tax:

The moment that The West officially stopped believing in science and medicine, 2020, Colorized.

 

[AnOminous]

They were not hors de combat because by the definition a lot of people misunderstand, it would be a war crime to shell a REMF unit, engage in sniper attacks, strafe convoys, blow up vehicles with mines, or just do a standard ambush.

Or, for instance, assassinate Admiral Yamamoto because he was not at that moment fighting anyone. I should note since we're discussing words that I mean by "assassinate" simply the targeted killing of a specific person, not that there was anything wrong with doing it. Even though he was an honorable man, he was an entirely valid military target.

In any event, the Highway of Death was regrettable, as any loss of life is regrettable, but not a war crime by the standard definitions. Also, you don't order a man like Norman Schwarzkopf to wreck as much of Saddam's military as possible and expect him not to do just that.

Image tax, last photograph of Isoroku Yamamoto alive.

April 18, 1943. Operation Vengeance took him out mere hours later.

 

[Gunga Dan]

Tank Man, 1989​

Spoiler

On the morning of June 5, 1989, photographer Jeff Widener was perched on a sixth-floor balcony of the Beijing Hotel. It was a day after the Tiananmen Square massacre, when Chinese troops attacked pro-democracy demonstrators camped on the plaza, and the Associated Press sent Widener to document the aftermath. As he photographed bloody victims, passersby on bicycles and the occasional scorched bus, a column of tanks began rolling out of the plaza.


Widener lined up his lens just as a man carrying shopping bags stepped in front of the war machines, waving his arms and refusing to move. The tanks tried to go around the man, but he stepped back into their path, climbing atop one briefly. Widener assumed the man would be killed, but the tanks held their fire. Eventually the man was whisked away, but not before Widener immortalized his singular act of resistance. Others also captured the scene, but Widener’s image was transmitted over the AP wire and appeared on front pages all over the world. Decades after Tank Man became a global hero, he remains unidentified. The anonymity makes the photograph all the more universal, a symbol of resistance to unjust regimes everywhere.

 

[Gone Ham]

Tank Man, 1989​

View attachment 2145983

Spoiler

On the morning of June 5, 1989, photographer Jeff Widener was perched on a sixth-floor balcony of the Beijing Hotel. It was a day after the Tiananmen Square massacre, when Chinese troops attacked pro-democracy demonstrators camped on the plaza, and the Associated Press sent Widener to document the aftermath. As he photographed bloody victims, passersby on bicycles and the occasional scorched bus, a column of tanks began rolling out of the plaza.


Widener lined up his lens just as a man carrying shopping bags stepped in front of the war machines, waving his arms and refusing to move. The tanks tried to go around the man, but he stepped back into their path, climbing atop one briefly. Widener assumed the man would be killed, but the tanks held their fire. Eventually the man was whisked away, but not before Widener immortalized his singular act of resistance. Others also captured the scene, but Widener’s image was transmitted over the AP wire and appeared on front pages all over the world. Decades after Tank Man became a global hero, he remains unidentified. The anonymity makes the photograph all the more universal, a symbol of resistance to unjust regimes everywhere.

why is this post blank and why are the cops knocking on my door

 

[Image Reactions]

Always been fond of this.

 

[Maxxicus Callahan]

Eastern Front: Mumamsk, 1945

 

[Gunga Dan]

Leap Into Freedom, 1961​

Spoiler

Following World War II, the conquering Allied governments carved Berlin into four occupation zones. Yet each part was not equal, and from 1949 to 1961 some 2.5 million East Germans fled the Soviet section in search of freedom. To stop the flow, East German leader Walter Ulbricht had a barbed-wire-and-cinder-block barrier thrown up in early August 1961. A few days later, Associated Press photographer Peter Leibing was tipped off that a defection might happen. He and other cameramen gathered and watched as a West Berlin crowd enticed 19-year-old border guard Hans Conrad Schumann, yelling to him, “Come on over!” Schumann, who later said he did not want to “live enclosed,” suddenly ran for the barricade.

 

[McMitch]

Tank Man, 1989​

View attachment 2145983

Spoiler

On the morning of June 5, 1989, photographer Jeff Widener was perched on a sixth-floor balcony of the Beijing Hotel. It was a day after the Tiananmen Square massacre, when Chinese troops attacked pro-democracy demonstrators camped on the plaza, and the Associated Press sent Widener to document the aftermath. As he photographed bloody victims, passersby on bicycles and the occasional scorched bus, a column of tanks began rolling out of the plaza.


Widener lined up his lens just as a man carrying shopping bags stepped in front of the war machines, waving his arms and refusing to move. The tanks tried to go around the man, but he stepped back into their path, climbing atop one briefly. Widener assumed the man would be killed, but the tanks held their fire. Eventually the man was whisked away, but not before Widener immortalized his singular act of resistance. Others also captured the scene, but Widener’s image was transmitted over the AP wire and appeared on front pages all over the world. Decades after Tank Man became a global hero, he remains unidentified. The anonymity makes the photograph all the more universal, a symbol of resistance to unjust regimes everywhere.

Every one zooms in the picture so you can see tank man, but this is what he was standing against:

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

Every one zooms in the picture so you can see tank man, but this is what he was standing against:

View attachment 2156972

I love this zoomed out picture because it really shows the sheer balls this guy had. He's an ant compared to the sheer force he's standing against, and by all rights they shouldn't have stopped. But they did. He even started messing with them, continually blocking their path and even climbing on top of one.

He was very likely executed after this, but it's certainly a hell of a way to go.

 

[Trilby]

I love this zoomed out picture because it really shows the sheer balls this guy had. He's an ant compared to the sheer force he's standing against, and by all rights they shouldn't have stopped. But they did. He even started messing with them, continually blocking their path and even climbing on top of one.

He was very likely executed after this, but it's certainly a hell of a way to go.

It certainly encapsulates the end of the Cold War.

 

[Maxxicus Callahan]

Leap Into Freedom, 1961​

View attachment 2154978

Spoiler

Following World War II, the conquering Allied governments carved Berlin into four occupation zones. Yet each part was not equal, and from 1949 to 1961 some 2.5 million East Germans fled the Soviet section in search of freedom. To stop the flow, East German leader Walter Ulbricht had a barbed-wire-and-cinder-block barrier thrown up in early August 1961. A few days later, Associated Press photographer Peter Leibing was tipped off that a defection might happen. He and other cameramen gathered and watched as a West Berlin crowd enticed 19-year-old border guard Hans Conrad Schumann, yelling to him, “Come on over!” Schumann, who later said he did not want to “live enclosed,” suddenly ran for the barricade.

That’s an interesting description to the photo, Schumann who did not want to “live enclosed”

It certainly encapsulates the end of the Cold War.

It shows in China Mao’s infamous quote in action, that power grows out of the barrel of a gun

 

[Trilby]

That’s an interesting description to the photo, Schumann who did not want to “live enclosed”

It shows in China Mao’s infamous quote in action, that power grows out of the barrel of a gun

Truly does. I was still in grade school when all that went on.