The Burning Monk, Malcolm Browne, 1963. During a time of outrage, two monks doused a seated elderly man with gasoline. The seemingly serene monk sitting lotus style was enveloped in flames, and the photo became the first iconic image to emerge from a quagmire that would soon pull in America.
This image catched my attention as it is a monk engulfed in flames, with no one helping, and the monk not seeming to care.
Lunch Atop A Skyscraper, 1932. It’s the most terrifying yet joyful lunch break ever captured: 11 men casually eating, chatting and sneaking a smoke as if they weren’t 840 feet above Manhattan with nothing but a thin beam keeping them alive. These brave men are among the construction workers who helped build Rockefeller Center. But the picture, taken on the 69th floor of the flagship RCA Building, was staged as part of a promotional campaign for the massive skyscraper complex.
I like this photo because of the extreme danger these men are in. They all seem to be causal, and enjoying their lunch not caring about the long fall below them. This photo also makes you wonder what these men may be talking about with the white papers in their hand.
Flag Raising On Iwo Jima, Joe Rosenthal, 1945. The Americans needed Iwo Jima as an air base, but the Japanese had dug in. U.S. troops landed on February 19, 1945, beginning a month of fighting that claimed the lives of 6,800 Americans and 21,000 Japanese. On the fifth day of battle, the Marines captured Mount Suribachi. An American flag was quickly raised, but a commander called for a bigger one, in part to inspire his men and demoralize his opponents.
I chose this image because it captures the sacrifices military soldiers give for their country. The large size of this flag and these 4 men show the strength and power of their country. I also like the scenery you can see in the background, to get a whole story just by looking.