Nurse in V-J Day kiss photo dies

[IDemo]

Source: Reuters

updated 23 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - A nurse famously photographed being kissed by an American sailor in New York's Times Square in 1945 to celebrate the end of World War Two has died at the age of 91, her family said on Tuesday.

The V-J Day picture of the white-clad Edith Shain by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured an epic moment in U.S. history and became an iconic image marking the end of the war after being published in Life magazine.

The identity of the nurse in the photograph was not known until the late 1970s when Shain wrote to the photographer saying that she was the woman in the picture taken on August 14 at a time when she had been working at Doctor's Hospital in New York City.

The identity of the sailor remains disputed and unresolved.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37863636/ns/us_news-life/

[JI7]

1. aren't there a bunch of people claiming to be them ?

the nurse didn't know who the soldier was ?

[dflprincess]

2. He's a sailor, not a soldier

and, from what my mother told me about the VJ Day celebration in Minneapolis I don't think it would be that surprising to hear that kisses were exchanged between people who didn't know each other and never saw each other again.

[JI7]

3. has the nurse ever told about how it happened ?

[WolverineDG]

6. From wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%E2%80%93J_day_in_Times_Square

very interesting; another photographer got the same shot but from a different angle.

dg

[Beartracks]

8. Aw, ya beat me to it!

But here's a snippet:
"In August 1945, Shain was working at Doctor's Hospital in New York City as a nurse when she and a friend heard on the radio that World War II had ended. They went to Times Square where all the celebrating was and as soon as she arrived on the street from the subway, the sailor grabbed her in an embrace and kissed her. She related that at the time she thought she might as well let him kiss her since he fought for her in the war."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Shain

The Wikipedia article also notes that several men have claimed to be the sailor.

Also, about the Jorgensen photo: I had never heard nor seen that one before. Looks to be the exact same moment, based on the background figures. Amazing.

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[WolverineDG]

28. Yup, same background sailor in white in both photos nt

[Beartracks]

41. And exact same positions, too.

Yep, the arms and legs of the sailor in white, and the legs of the sailor in black (his torso is blocked in Jorgensen's image) -- both of whom were actively in motion -- are in the exact same positions in both photos.

It appears to be more than an image of the same event; rather, it's like another image of the exact same moment in time.

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[Rage for Order]

39. "...the sailor grabbed her in an embrace and kissed her."

"...as soon as she arrived on the street from the subway, the sailor grabbed her in an embrace and kissed her. She related that at the time she thought she might as well let him kiss her since he fought for her in the war."

If a man did that to a woman nowadays she would probably have him arrested for sexual assault and then sue him for every penny he had, and the navy would probably also be named as a defendant just to be sure someone with deep pockets was around to settle out of court for a few hundred thousand dollars.

[Stevenmarc]

12. And it's not nearly as compelling

as the Eisenstaedt shot because it's framed better than the Jorgensen shot, it's the difference between a photograph and a snapshot.

[Love Bug]

13. Eisenstaedt said he anticipated it

Eisenstaedt described how he got the photo by saying he noticed the sailor working his way down the street, kissing woman after woman as he went. He noticed the nurse moving in the sailor's direction and realized that the contrast of her all-white clothes besides his dark ones would probably look good in a photo, so he waited until they came together. We see the result of that!

[WolverineDG]

5. My dad's friend was in San Francisco on VJ Day & said it was a madhouse

People were celebrating for days.

dg

[Love Bug]

14. My mother said it was the same way in Detroit

People were literally dancing in the streets.

[dflprincess]

26. Mom has mentioned a large conga line that worked its way down Hennepin Avenue

[Love Bug]

37. Now, THAT would be fun!

[WolverineDG]

4. How can you not be familiar with the story?

She was out celebrating VJ day & was grabbed by the sailor. She didn't get a good look at him & the whole incident was over in seconds.

dg

[Mira]

7. There is the most magnificent statue of this in the harbor of Satasota Florida.

I never took a photo of it, unfortunately, or I'd post it. I feel certain the HEM of her SKIRT is above my head.
I have loved it for years.
RIP
to the wonderful model, in memorial of a magnificent day.

[lamp_shade]

10. Here's a picture. I live just north of Sarasota. Each time, It brings tears of joy to my eyes.

It's AWESOME. It's HUGE... 26 ft tall.

[dipsydoodle]

11. Blimey

Awesome frequently gets misused but that really is so.

[Vidar]

15. Thanks for sharing the statue. My dad & 3 uncles, one of whom was killed served in WWII.

[No Elephants]

27. In the photo, the legs of the nurse are in a cuter position.

[lazarus]

36. identical one in San Diego

relatively new, I just saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

[pipoman]

40. I took this pic of the one in San Diego last year

the carrier is, of coarse, USS Midway..

[pa28]

9. I love that shot.

No reason to wonder what it was like to be alive that day. Just look.

[Vidar]

16. Vaya con Dios, Edith. I hope you had a wonderful life. Your picture

provided a lot of nostalgia, both for the "Greatest Generation", and myself & my fellow "Boomers" as well.

[struggle4progress]

17. ... three sons, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren ...

Nurse being kissed in iconic wartime picture dies, aged 91
Edith Shain was photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt in Times Square in 1945 being kissed by a sailor
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/23/nurse-kissed-1945-new-york-picture-dies

[Vidar]

18. Thanks for the additional info.

[Brickbat]

19. I've never liked that photo.

[Xenotime]

25. yea me either. It's just wrong.

[lumpy]

20. I remember the day very well. My mother wouldn't let me go

downtown. I was 17 and so wanted to be part of the celebration. My girl friend was there, the crowds were immense and she got bussed many times. WW2 was the last war of necessity. Probably the last time this nation really worked as a team to bring an end to tyranny.

[UndertheOcean]

21. If this happened today the nurse would have sued the sailor for sexual harassment

which is a good thing !

You just grab and kiss someone without their permission , I thought this was ok in 1845 , not 1945

[closeupready]

23. lol, I thought the same thing.

:rofl:

[JI7]

38. i think she said she decided to let him kiss her

[bdamomma]

22. that is such a great picture.

[NYC Liberal]

24. RIP. Here's Edith from just a few years ago:

[rockymountaindem]

31. Wow. She aged well.

Sorry to hear she's gone.

[No Elephants]

29. .You walked out of the subway right into Immortality. How cool is that?

You were a good sport and managed a cute pose, even though you were surprised.

Nice legs, too.

I guess they may have been referred to as "gams" then.



Bon voyage, Edith.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

30. RIP Edith Shain

My deepest, sincerest and most heartfelt thoughts, prayers, condolences and sympathies to all those who knew and loved her

[AmandaRuth]

32. Nurse in V-J Day kiss photo dies

Source: MSNBC



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37863636/ns/us_news-life

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One picture that always made me feel good. RIP Nurse Edith Shain

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

33. Ironically, her death was due to chronic, terminal mono.

j/k

[lamp_shade]

34. This commemorative statue at Sarasota, FL harbor > >

26' tall. Tears in my eyes every time I drive by it.

[AmandaRuth]

35. that is some freaking cool road side art there....

:)