Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/09/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Paul Schliesser wrote: "The famous image of MacArthur striding through the surf returning to the Philipines was also restaged." I do not believe this was so. The photographer, Carl Mydans of LIFE has told this story many times. It was the second landing for MacArthur that day but there were no photographers at the first landing. Carl says the photograph was made as MacArthur walked ashore for the first time at that place. He says that anyone who knew macArthur knew he would NEVER re-stage anything to benefit the photographers. If a photographer asked MacArthur to "Look this way, please Sir," MacArthur would deliberately look the other way. I believe Carl, who just turned 90 years old. BTW, I have Carl's version of the story of this photograph on video tape in a piece I broadcast on the old Kodak Techniques of the Masters Satellite TV series. However Joe Rosenthal, who made the famous Iwo Jima photograph of the flag raising, tells it was the second effort he photographed. rosenthals photo was the first to be honored in a schulpture and in a stamp issued at the PPof A conference in Chicago. I have heard Joe tell this story in person too. The instances are very different, took place at different times under different circumstances and should not be confused. Ken Lassiter