ICONIC TIMES SQUARE PHOTO: "THE KISS"
New York City (JFK+50) On August 14, 1945, the largest crowd in history jammed into Times Square here in the Big Apple to celebrate the surrender of Japan. There were many kisses about Times Square, but the one best remembered was between a sailor and a nurse that was captured by two photographers for posterity.
One taken by Alfred Eisenstaed was published the following day in the New York Times and later in Life Magazine. Another photo taken by Lt. Victor Jorgensen is part of a National Archives collection.
Neither photographer was able to get the names of the sailor and the nurse, but in 1978 Edith Shain identified herself as the girl in the photograph. She was born in Tarrytown, NY on July 29, 1918 and graduated from New York University. She moved to Los Angeles shortly after the war.
The young lady delayed coming forward because she thought "the kiss" to be less than "dignified," but at the age of 60, she decided "times had changed."
Ms. Shain described the circumstances as..."The happiness was indescribable.
It was a very long kiss."
SOURCES
"Edith Shain Who Said Famous Kiss Came Her Way Dies at 91," by Richard Goldstein, New York Times, June 24, 2010, www.nytimes.com/
The American Presidency Project, www.presidency.ucsb.edu/
"Kissing the War Goodbye"
Times Square, NY City
August 14, 1945
Photo by Lt. Victor Jorgensen
National Archives Image
New York City (JFK+50) On August 14, 1945, the largest crowd in history jammed into Times Square here in the Big Apple to celebrate the surrender of Japan. There were many kisses about Times Square, but the one best remembered was between a sailor and a nurse that was captured by two photographers for posterity.
One taken by Alfred Eisenstaed was published the following day in the New York Times and later in Life Magazine. Another photo taken by Lt. Victor Jorgensen is part of a National Archives collection.
Neither photographer was able to get the names of the sailor and the nurse, but in 1978 Edith Shain identified herself as the girl in the photograph. She was born in Tarrytown, NY on July 29, 1918 and graduated from New York University. She moved to Los Angeles shortly after the war.
The young lady delayed coming forward because she thought "the kiss" to be less than "dignified," but at the age of 60, she decided "times had changed."
Ms. Shain described the circumstances as..."The happiness was indescribable.
It was a very long kiss."
SOURCES
"Edith Shain Who Said Famous Kiss Came Her Way Dies at 91," by Richard Goldstein, New York Times, June 24, 2010, www.nytimes.com/
The American Presidency Project, www.presidency.ucsb.edu/
"Kissing the War Goodbye"
Times Square, NY City
August 14, 1945
Photo by Lt. Victor Jorgensen
National Archives Image
