[Leica] David Douglas Duncan

[CAMRALUGGR@aol.com]

I have to take exception to the inference that DDD's work after Korea was not 
very worthwhile.  I'm looking at a copy of the excellent "Self-portrait USA" 
featuring his superb coverage of the 1968 Republican and Democratic National 
conventions, originally shot as stills for NBC Television with narration by 
DDD of his impressions and thoughts on the proceedings.  It is hard to look 
at this book cover to cover, especially after the most recent presidential 
election, without appreciation for his photojournalistic entrepreneurship as 
well as his ability as a photographer to tell us more about ourselves than we 
previously knew.

Like HCB, Duncan looms a little bit larger than life in the annals of the 
history of photography.  His knack for self-promotion, combined with a 
daringly adventurous nature, opened the door for him to photograph not only 
war but a world-wide variety of subjects.  His autobiography "Yankee Nomad" 
details all this and more.  While it sometimes is a bit much, especially 
about his relationship with Picasso, it is still fascinating reading.  And 
yes, he was a Marine--and saw more combat than any of us would ever care to 
think about--in the South Pacific during WW2.  His intimate portraits of 
marines under fire during the island campaign, later in Korea and even later 
in Vietnam, comprise some of the most compelling images of undaunted courage 
ever seen in the pages of Life, National Geographic and other magazines in 
which he was published.  When he eventually became passionately opposed to 
American involvement in Southeast Asia, his photographs depicting the 
futility of the struggle and the suffering it was inflicting among innocents 
at home and abroad, were highly influential in changing the prevailing 
attitude of "more war" among many members of the US government.

Whether his latest work is up to his best is, for the most part, irrelevant.  
His life's work is proof enough to maintain his stature of one of the most 
influential photographers of "The Greatest Generation": compelling images of 
the world's people, from paupers to kings, who were being directly affected 
by the great events of the 20th Century.  His oft-discussed ego does nothing 
to diminish the significance of his accomplishments.

Just my $.02 --

Mike Crist