The camera that put photojournalism on the map. The “Holy Grail” of photojournalism.
DPI has just acquired a Graphex “Speed Graphic” press camera circa 1951. Korean War vintage. This is the camera that put photojournalism on the map. It represents the “Holy Grail” of photojournalism.
The recent events which took place in Charlottesville, Virginia have begun a debate as to removing statues which glorify the Confederacy. But this could easily become a slippery slope as the argument for removal of other statues which offend one group or another is considered. Where does it end, or does it? More importantly who decides which statues to remove? Are there any humans without fault?
The scenes of poverty presented here could have come from any number of cities in the United States. One might suspect Baltimore, St. Louis, Detroit, Philadelphia or Los Angeles at first glance, but the locale for this essay was Norfolk, Virginia. It would be easy to say that the situation in the inner cities has improved, but the truth of the matter is that the conditions causing this poverty remain mostly unchanged throughout the decades before and after these images were taken. This “Inner City” essay is now included in our Americana collection.
On a street in West Berlin c.1953. This man’s expression says it all as a new order replaces a tumultuous recent past.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal of August 21, 2017 (pp. B1-B2) the iconic oil pump jack is making a comeback among small and medium sized oil companies seeking to turn a profit despite an oil glut. These pump jack oil wells can be set up for under $1 million as compared to a fracking oil well running between $6 million to $8 million. We have several images of oil pump jacks including this recent arrival of a National Oil Company pump jack in Montana (August 1956).
An iconic image taken in Hong Kong Harbor approximately 70 years ago. Better late than never for DPI. Many more images of China and Hong Kong can be found in our Dispatch on Assignment collection.
We review thousands of photos weekly. Sometimes alarm bells go off as a photo illustrates to us a particular theme from literature, music or elsewhere with obvious clarity. You know it when you see it. The photo’s relevance to an issue makes an evident connection.
Beware of False Prophets. Those who would seek to offer a twisted view of the truth through their own media group should be treated with extreme vetting. If you prefer to see the world in virtual terms watch the film “Tomorrow Never Dies” and see what happens to Elliot Carver and the Carver Media Group Network. For those of us who remember reality this photo of the main gate and selection ramp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland in 1979 is a constant reminder of barbarism carried to the extreme. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
Mama told me when I was young
“Come sit beside me my only son
And listen to what I say
And if you do this it’ll help you some sunny day.”
Chorus
“And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me, son, if you can”
From “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Words to live by.
In this high stakes poker game we catch a glimpse of this man’s hand. Note the upside down Ace of spades. “Wild Bill” Hickok was assassinated in Deadwood in 1876 during a poker game and his cards were picked up from the floor. The story has changed some over the years, but it is now accepted that Hickok was holding a pair of Aces and a pair of eights. This became known in lore as the Dead Man’s Hand.