The famous, and iconic photograph is one of the worlds best, and most celebrated images.
There are a few pictures that have been taken in history that really capture the hearts, and the imaginations of millions around the world, and the capture of a kiss in Times Square is one of them. Snapped on August 14th, 1945 during celebrations in New York City’s Times Square, the kiss is perhaps the most iconic photograph from World War II. Sadly the kissing sailor, George Mendonsa who was snapped during an embrace with Greta Zimmer Friedman has passed away at age 95. Join us after the break to learn more about this iconic photograph.
A recent report on ISO 1200, recently shared the sad news that George Mendonsa has passed away at age 95 after a fall. Mendonsa who was a sailor in the US Navy, was caught by two photographers (a US Navy photographer, and Alfred Eisenstaedt) on August 14th, 1945 passionately kissing Greta Zimmer Friedman as the news that Japan had surrendered to the US was announced. It was the image from Alfred Eisenstaedt’s Leica IIIa Rangefinder that became the most iconic photograph of a generation after it was used as a cover image on Life Magazine.
As a way to celebrate the end of the war, George Mendonsa (who was with his date at the time) saw the woman who looked like a nurse, instinctively he embraced and kissed her as the news rang out. To George, dental assistant Greta Zimmer Friedman, represented the thousands of nurses who helped treat wounded service men during the war. It was the joy of the moment, the admiration he had for nurses, and the work they had done that made him embrace her.
After the kiss the two went on their way without saying a word to each other. In 1960 Greta Zimmer Friedman reached out to Life Magazine to tell them it was her with George Mendonsa on the day the iconic photograph was captured. They were later reunited to to recreate the image. Sadly Greta Friedman Zimmer who was a holocaust refugee passed away in 2016 at the age of 92. Thanks to two quick photographers on that day in August, 1945, the kiss was captured, and it will forever be one of the worlds most iconic photographs.
Images from video via TIME