h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is a really good, well researched and touching article. It's just flabbergasting to think that one momentary photo could have such an effect on a man's life. Well done!

Woodpigeon

I agree. Excellent entry O.

I remember learning something interesting in one of my photography classes at uni. There was some controversy over whether this photograph had been staged (it wasn't). I can't quite remember all the specifics but what I basically remember is that someone (I believe someone with AP or possibly a related newspaper or magazine) was looking at the contact sheets (proofs) of the roll of film that included this photo. This person, several continents away by phone, asked Joe Rosenthal a question about whether this image was shot during the battle or had been posed afterwards. Joe was thinking of another photograph on that roll and replied that, yes it was posed afterwards (it might have been a group shot he had later taken, I'm not sure which image he was thinking of). Rumors still exist today regarding the 'authenticity' of this photograph.

Count Zero

Thank you, Woodpigeon.

Count, you got the story exactly right. A few years ago, Joe Rosenthal was interviewed (yet again) and commented on how tired he was of asnwering the same d*mn question every day for more than 50 years.

Rosenthal had no idea how "big" his photo of the second flag raising had become. Almost immediately when he returned to the United States, someone asked him if the photo was staged. Figuring that a later shot that he *had* staged was the best of the lot he had taken, he said "yes."