A couple of photographer's work to share today - both of whom typify the humanist and humanitarian approach to photo-journalism.
First Bert Hardy - b.1913 - d.1995. From Southwark in London. Most famous for being the lead staff photographer for Picture Post magazine- '47 to '57 - in its hey day. He had a freedom to work that few snappers would have these days. Ages to work on stories and multi-page layouts. He preserved a world that has truly gone in Britain. He was much the same as the people he photographed - there was no instinctive distrust of the press when he was working. Unlike now. An early adopter of Leica and Contax 35mm cameras - which allowed an intimacy unusual at the time - no flash. Go google what a Speed Graphic camera looks like and you will understand. Standard issue in his day for newspaper photographers -
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The Gorbals - Glasgow - 1948.
Superb Iain.
This is one of his most famous pictures. A bit of a personal choice for me - as my dad - was living in the very same street and of roughly the same age when this was taken. Not that long ago they managed to track down the boys and re-stage the picture as they are now. Other than the street layout nothing is recognisible. The area was demolished - rebuilt in the 70's - demolished again and they are now on their third go at town planning.
Next - Philip Jones Griffiths -
Welsh by origin - b.1936 - d.2008. Another Magnum photographer. I think he ended up as president of the agency. Came to prominence with his book 'Vietnam Inc.' Please note the title. Along with Tim Page, David Douglas Duncan, Don McCullen, Nick Ut and others - these guys changed the world's view of the intervention in Vietnam. Stuff like this -
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No less than HCB said that Griffiths' depiction of combat was the finest he had seen since Goya. High praise indeed. So - I went to find some of his earlier street stuff but I came across a project he did that I was not aware of before. He revisited Vietnam throughout his life and documented the long term effects of the war -particularly the effects of Agent Orange and other nerve and neuro toxins - the genetic damage in the long term. I'm not squeamish - but these pictures are extremely disturbing. I've picked two - among the least harrowing - if you want to see more go find them. They ought to be seen.
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Baby in a specimen jar- born with non-survivable birth defects due to Agent Orange exposure to the father's sperm. Tu Da obstetrics hospital. 1980 - 2002.
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Same place - but marked as being taken in 2002. A mother who gave birth to a non-viable child that lived less than 48 hours. 2002 - think about that. It's 27 years after the official end of the conflict. Makes you wonder what we are bequeathing to future generations in Afghanistan and Syria with 'depleted' uranium shells and white phosphorus?
Yours - I.
@Helveticum @Barry Giddens @Blademonkey