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English Pages 367 [368] Year 2000
THE PULITZER PRIZE ARCHIVE A History and Anthology of Award-winning Materials in Journalism, Letters, and Arts Series Editor: Heinz-Dietrich Fischer Ruhr University, Bochum Federal Republic of Germany
PART E: LIBERAL ARTS
Volume 14
K G - Saur München 2000
Press Photography Awards 1 9 4 2 - 1 9 9 8 From Joe Rosenthal and Horst Faas to Moneta Sleet and Stan Grossfeld
Edited with general and special introductions by Heinz-Dietrich Fischer in Cooperation with Erika J. Fischer
K G - Saur München 2000
Gefördert durch Prof. Dr. Dietrich Oppenberg t aus Mitteln der Stiftung Pressehaus NRZ Essen
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufriahme The Pulitzer prize archive: a history and anthology of award winning materials in Journalism, letters, and arts / ser. ed.: Heinz-Dietrich Fischer. - München : Saur ISBN 3-598-30170-7 Vol. 14 : Pt E. Liberal arts. Press photography awards 1942 -1998 : from Joe Rosenthal and Hoist Faas to Moneta Sleet and Stan Grossfeld / ed. with general and special introd. by Heinz-Dietrich Fischer in cooperation with Erika J. Fischer.- 2000 ISBN 3-598-30184-7
© Gedruckt auf säurefreiem Papier Printed on acid-free paper Alle Rechte vorbehalten / All Rigths Strictly Reserved ICG.Saur Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, München 2000 Part of Reed Elsevier Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany by Strauss Offsetdruck, Mörlenbach Bound by Buchbinderei Schaumann, Darmstadt Cover Design by Manfred Link, München ISBN 3-598-30184-7 ISBN 3-598-30170-7 (Complete Set)
V
PREFACE In the history of the system of Pulitzer Prizes, the award for photography was a comparatively late invention. John Hohenberg describes how "with the outpouring of photography from domestic sources and the combat zones... a new photography prize was... created in 1942," at the height of the Second World War. At first the award was designed to cover the entire field of photo-journalism, but it took only a quarter-century until the necessity arose to split it up. In 1968 two prizes were established which were independent from one another, and there has been one award-category for "Spot News Photography" and another category for "Feature Photography" ever since. Also, while in the first decades of its history the prize was usually awarded for exactly one photograph, it later became common practice to honor several pictures by one photographer, as long as they dealt with one topic. This book attempts to document the history of the Pulitzer Prize for photography. It contains a collection of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs from more than half a century, and carefully explains their contents and cultural background. The reproduction of the individual photographs varies in quality, which in some cases is due to the varying quality of the photographs' negatives which could be retrieved from the Pulitzer Prize Collection. There are also cases, when photographs had to be "reconstructed" from newspaper clippings, because their negatives could no longer be found in any of the archives of the different media or photographers. Despite such difficulties, it was possible to document the complete history of the Pulitzer Prize for photography. Mr. Bernard R. Crystal, Curator Librarian of the Rare Book Library at Columbia University, and Mr. Larry Heinzerling, Deputy Director of World Services at the Associated Press, were particularly helpful in retrieving a number of photographs. Professor Seymour Topping and Mr. Edward M. Kliment of the Administration of the Pulitzer Prizes kindly granted us access to important material including the jury reports. The extensive research for this volume was made possible by financial support from the late Professor
VI
Dr. Dietrich Oppenberg (former publisher of the Neue Ruhr/Neue Rhein Zeitung at Essen) who passed away last spring. The following people also helped in creating this book: Tony Abraham (New York), Victor H. Bausch (Monterey, Ca.), Louis D. Boccardi (New York), Daniel Boehnk (Paris), Carroll Brown (New York), Patrick Chelling (Santa Ana, Ca.), Anita Clesle (Düsseldorf), Robert Dahlberg (New York), Joseph Elbert (Washington, D.C.), Scott Elmer (Pottstown, Pa.), Janice C. Fennell (Fort Worth, Tx.), Siegfried E. Fuhry (Bonn), Karen Furey (New York), Hugh G. Hamilton Jr. (New York), Eileen Harden (West Palm Beach, Fl.), Norma Hill (Akron, Oh.), Robert I. Lucas (Tarentum, Pa.), John Lucy (Jacksonville, Fl.), Jane Nowak (Los Angeles, Ca.), Larry Opoms (Oakland, Ca.), Elise Orringer (Boston, Ma.), Andrea A. Palmer (New York), Jonathan W. Pilgrim (Munich), Claude Salhani (Washington, D.C.), Jochen Schindelarz (Caracas, Venezuela) and Tara Yaekel (Boston, Ma.). A number of news organizations permitted the inclusion of photographs in this book. In all other cases the photographs had to be reprinted with reference to the "Doctrine of Fair Use" as embodied in the United States Copyright Act of 1976. According to this doctrine, excerpts of copyrighted works may be reprinted when their use does not encompass a substantial portion of these works. This is the case here, because we only included a maximum of three photographs from each individual person in this book - out of hundreds of photographs published by each photographer every year. At the Ruhr University of Bochum, Mrs. Ingrid Dickhut - already involved in all previous volumes of this series of books - did not only carefully prepare and check the manuscript, but also covered the entire text of this book on PC, drew up the index and designed this volume's layout. Mr. Olaf Jubin translated the introduction while Mrs. Britta Duddeck, Mrs. Tanja Schepers, Mrs. Monika Sprengel and Mr. Sebastian Susteck contributed in different ways to the creation of this volume. We wish to express our thanks to all of them. Bochum, FRG August, 2000
E.J.F./H.-D.F.
VII
CONTENTS
PREFACE INTRODUCTION HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY By Heinz-Dietrich Fischer, Ruhr-Universität Bochum PRESENTATION PRACTICES OF AWARD-WINNING PHOTOS REMARKS ABOUT THE DOCUMENTATION CRITERIA 1942
1943
1944
V
XXV
1 2
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE DEMONSTRATORS OF A MAJOR DETROIT MOTOR PLANT IN 1941 By Milton E. Brooks, The Detroit News
3
FORD STRIKERS RIOT
4
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT AN EXTREMELY THIRSTY INDIAN SAILOR CLOSE TO DEHYDRATION IN 1942 By Frank Noel, The Associated Press WATER I
5
GENERAL AWARD (I) ABOUT A TOTALLY DESTROYED ISLAND IN THE PACIFIC WAR THEATRE IN 1943 By Frank X. Filan, The Associated Press TARAWA ISLAND
7
6
8
VIII 1944
GENERAL AWARD (II) ABOUT A SOLDIER'S RETURN AND THE WELCOME BY HIS FAMILY IN 1943
9
By Earle L. Bunker, World-Herald, Omaha
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
HOMECOMING
10
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE ERECTION OF A WAR HISTORICAL AMERICAN MONUMENT IN 1945 By Joe Rosenthal, The Associated Press THE PLANTING OF THE FLAG ON MOUNT SURIBACHI, IWO JIMA
11
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE DECISION TO WITHHOLD THE PRIZE FOR PHOTOS FROM 1945 By The Advisory Board, Columbia University, New York NAMES OF THE BOARD MEMBERS VOTING FOR "NO AWARD-
13
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE FLAMES DESTROYING A COMPLETE BUILDING AND KILLING PEOPLE IN 1946 By Arnold Hardy, The Associated Press A MOST DISASTROUS HOTEL FIRE
15
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT BOSTON PATROLMEN AND AN UNEXPECTED SHOOTING IN 1947 By Frank Cushing, Boston Traveler BOY GUNMAN AND HOSTAGE
17
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT A HERO OF BASEBALL AND HIS MOVING RETIREMENT CEREMONY IN 1948 By Nathaniel Fein, New York Herald-Tribune BABE RUTH BOWS OUT
19
12
14
16
18
20
IX 1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT DANGEROUS FLYING M A N O E U V R E S AT OAKLAND AIRPORT IN 1949 By Bill Crouch, Oakland Tribune NEAR COLLISION AT AIR SHOW
21
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT FLEEING PEOPLE IN THE EARLY S T A G E S OF THE KOREAN WAR IN 1950 By Max Desfor, The Associated Press FLIGHT OF REFUGEES ACROSS WRECKED BRIDGE IN KOREA
23
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT AN UNFAIR ATTACK ON A TOP BLACK FOOTBALL PLAYER IN 1951 By John R. Robinson / Don T. Ultang, Des Moines Register & Tribune EVER SEE A JAW BROKEN ?
25
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ADLAI S T E V E N S O N IN MICHIGAN IN 1952 By William M. Gallagher, The Flint Journal ADLAI'S FOOTWEAR
27
22
24
26
28
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT A SEMI-TRUCK ACCIDENT AND S O M E KIND OF A MIRACLE IN 1953 By Virginia Schau, The Associated Press THRILLING RESCUE
29
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT A COUPLE AFTER THEIR INFANTS DEATH AT THE BEACH IN 1954 By John L. Gaunt Jr., Los Angeles Times TRAGEDY BY THE SEA
31
30
32
X 1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT A BURNING AIRPLANE AFTER SMASHING TO A LONG ISLAND GROUND IN 1955 By George Mattson et al., New York Daily News BOMBER CRASHES IN STREET
33
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE ANDREA DORIA SHIP CATASTROPHE IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC IN 1956 By Harry A. Trask, Boston Traveler SINKING OF A SEA LINER
35
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT A TWO-YEAR OLD BOY TALKING TO A POLICEMAN DURING A PARADE IN 1957 By William C. Beali, The Washington Daily News FAITH AND CONFIDENCE
34
36
37 38
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE TRAGEDY OF A YOUNG CHILD KILLED AT A MINNEAPOLIS STREET IN 1958 By William C. Seaman, Minneapolis Star TOO LATE - THE DOCTOR WALKED AWAY
39
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE RESULT OF A WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL BY CASTRO'S TROOPS IN 1959 By Andrew Lopez, United Press International RECEIVING LAST RITES
41
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT AN ASSASSINATION BY SWORD OF A JAPANESE POLITICIAN IN 1960 By Yasushi Nagao, United Press International TOKYO STABBING
40
42
43 44
XI 1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT CONVERSATIONS OF EISENHOWER AND KENNEDY AT CAMP DAVID IN 1961 By Paul Vathis, The Associated Press SERIOUS STEPS GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE FINAL ABSOLUTION BY A NAVY CHAPLAIN IN VENEZUELA IN 1962 By Hector Rondon, The Associated Press AID FROM THE PADRE
45 46
47 48
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT JACK RUBY'S SHOOTING OF THE ACCUSED KENNEDY SLAYER IN 1963 By Robert H. Jackson, The Dallas Times Herald THE MURDER OF A PROPOSED MURDERER
49
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT THE HARSH REALITIES OF THE VIETNAM WAR TO CIVILIANS IN 1964 By Horst Faas, The Associated Press INNOCENT VICTIM
51
GENERAL AWARD ABOUT VIETNAMESE WOMEN AND CHILDREN TRAPPED IN THE ACTION IN 1965 By Kyoichi Sawada, United Press International FLIGHT TO SAFETY GENERAL AWARD ABOUT SHOOTING DOWN OF A BLACK VOTER ON A MISSISSIPPI HIGHWAY IN 1966 By Jack R. Thomell, The Associated Press SHOOTING BY A ROADSIDE RIFLEMAN
50
52
53 54
55 56
XII
1968 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT A SUCCESSFULL MOUTH-UPON-MOUTH REANIMATION PROCEDURE IN 1967 By Rocco Morabito, Jacksonville Journal THE KISS OF LIFE 1968 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE FRUSTRATION OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN VIETNAM BATTLE FIELDS IN 1967 By Toshio Sakai, United Press International DREAMS OF BETTER TIMES 1969 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE KILLING OF A PRISONER BY VIETNAM'S NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF IN 1968 By Edward T. Adams, The Associated Press SAIGON EXECUTION
57 58
59 60
61 62
1969 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE ATLANTA FUNERAL SERVICE FOR A MONUMENTAL BLACK LEADER IN 1968 By Moneta J. Sleet Jr., Ebony magazine MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S WIDOW
63
1970 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT SOME HEAVY TURMOILS AND VIOLENT ACTIONS AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY IN 1969 By Steve Starr, The Associated Press CAMPUS GUNS
65
1970 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT LIVING CIRCUMSTANCES AND POVERTY OF FLORIDA MIGRANT WORKERS IN 1969 By Dallas Kinney, The Palm Beach Post CROP WORKERS IN FIELDS UNHEALTHY HOUSING CONDITIONS RESTING SENIOR CITIZENS
64
66
67 68 69 70
XIII
1971 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE SHOOTINGS AND TRAGEDIES AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY IN 1970 By John P. Filo, The Valley Daily News & Daily Dispatch, Tarentum STUDENTS AND GUARDS FORM THEIR LINES A KILLED STUDENT LYING ON THE GRUND UPSET STUDENT CALLS GUARD MURDERER 1971 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT CONDITIONS AT ILLINOIS STATE SCHOOLS FOR THE RETARDED IN 1970 By Jack W. Dykinga, Chicago Sun-Times OVERCROWDED SLEEPING COTTAGE APATHETIC WHEELCHAIR GROUP RESIDENTS IN THE DAY ROOM 1972 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT SHOCKING TORTURES AND KILLINGS OF PEOPLE IN BANGLADESH IN 1971 By Horst Faas / Michel Laurent, The Associated Press BRUTALITY AGAINST TIED PRISONERS GRISLY BAYONETTING OF TWO VICTIMS ALL THE PRISONERS ARE MURDERED 1972 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT SEVERAL DISCOURAGING FACTS ON THE VIETNAM WAR IN 1971 By Dave H. Kennerly, United Press International AMERICAN FLAG AND A SOUTH VIETNAMESE SOLDIER SOLDIER MOVES AMID SHATTERED TREES WOUNDED SOUTH VIETNAMESE SOLDIER 1973 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT VIETNAMESE CHILDREN ESCAPING FROM A NAPALM BOMB AREA NEAR SAIGON IN 1972 By Huynh Cong Ut, The Associated THE TERROR OF WAR
71 72 73 74
75 76 77 78
79 80 81 82
83 84 85 86
87
Press 88
XIV 1973 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT WITNESSING THE BIRTH OF A CHILD IN MIDDLE AMERICA IN 1972 By Brian T. Lanker, Topeka Capital-Journal PREPARATION IN A STERILE HOSPITAL ROOM MOMENT OF JOY AFTER THE DELIVERY THE BABY GIRL SHORTLY AFTER HER BIRTH 1974a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE KILLING OF AN ALLEGED KIDNAPER IN HOLLYWOOD IN 1973 By Anthony K. Roberts, The Associated Press HOSTAGE AND KIDNAPER SECURITY GUARD'S INTERVENTION KIDNAPER SHOT TO DEATH 1974 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE RETURN OF AN U. S. SOLDIER FROM A NORTH VIETNAMESE PRISON CAMP IN 1973 By Slava J. Veder, The Associated Press BURST OF JOY 1975a SPOT AWARD ABOUT TOTALLY EXHAUSTED FIREMEN AFTER THE BURN OUT OF A HOUSE IN 1974 By Gerald H. Gay, The Seattle Times LULL IN THE BATTLE
89 90 91 92
93 94 95 96
97 98
99 100
1975 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE WASHINGTON LIFE-STYLE IN 1974 101 By Matthew Lewis Jr., The Washington Post ART HISTORIAN IN A NATIONAL GALLERY 102 CITY COUNCILMAN AT THE CORNER OF HIS BLOCK 103 OLD LADY AT HOME WITH HER ANIMAL FAMILY 104 1976 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE TRAGEDY AND THE RESULTS OF A BOSTON HOTEL FIRE IN 1975 By Stanley J. Forman, The Boston Herald American FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVE FIRE ESCAPE COLLAPSES WOMAN FALLS TO DEATH
105 106 107 108
XV 1976 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT STRONG CONTROVERSIES ON BUSING IN LOUISVILLE'S SCHOOLS IN 1975 By Frank Kimmel et al., The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times WISH TO RETURN TO HIS FORMER SCHOOL TWO BOYS IN EMPTY CLASSROOM POLICEMAN ESCORTES SCHOOL BUS 1977 a SPOT AWARD (I) ABOUT HEAVY DISORDER AND BRUTALITY IN THE STREETS OF BANGKOK IN 1976 By Neal H. Ulevich, The Associated Press WOUNDED STUDENT AFTER DEMONSTRATION MOMENTS BEFORE STORMING THE UNIVERSITY STRIKING THE BODY OF A STUDENT VICTIM
109 110 111 112
113 114 115 116
1977 a SPOT AWARD (II) ABOUT TROUBLE ON A BOSTON CITY PLAZA AFTER STUDENT DEMONSTRATIONS IN 1976 117 By Stanley J. Forman, The Boston Herald American FLAG AS A LANCE 118 1977 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE CHATTANOOGA ARMED FORCES DAY PARADE AT A RAINY DAY IN 1976 By Robin L. Hood, Chattanooga News-Free Press DISABLED VIETNAM VETERAN 1978 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE KIDNAPPING OF AN INDIANAPOLIS BROKER AND THE ROLE OF TV IN 1977 By John H. Blair, United Press International HOSTAGE AT GUNPOINT 1978 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE WHITE-RULED RHODESIA AND OPPOSING GUERILLA ACTIVITIES IN 1977 By J. Ross Baughman, The Associated Press ROPE AROUND PRISONER'S NECK SOLDIER HOLDS ENEMY NEWSMAN PRISONERS IN MIDDAY SUN
119 120
121 122
123 124 125 126
XVI 1979 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT A FAMILY TRAGEDY IN A SMALL PENNSYLVANIA TOWN IN 1978 By Thomas J. Kelly EI, The Pottstown Mercury PREPARATION TO STORM A CRIMINAL'S HOME DRAMATIC CAPTURE OF A MURDERER INJURED GIRL IN SAFE HANDS
127 128 129 130
1979 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE DESTROYING P O W E R OF A NEW ENGLAND BLIZZARD IN 1978 131 By Paul Benoit et al., The Boston Herald American RESCUE WORKER IN ACTION 132 STRANDED CARS ON HIGHWAY 133 LIGHTHOUSE IN ANGRY SEA 134 1980 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE EXECUTION OF PEOPLE BY THE NEW IRANI LEADERSHIP IN 1979 By Unnamed Photographer, United Press International FIRING SQUAD IN IRAN 1980 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE LONELY AND A S C E T I C LIFE O F THE T E X A S W E S T E R N C O W B O Y IN 1979 By Erwin H. Hagler, Dallas Times Herald TEXAS COWBOY WORKING CONDITIONS ONE-ROOM HOME 1981 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE PUNISHMENT OF PEOPLE OF THE F O R M E R LIBERIAN G O V E R N M E N T IN 1980 By Larry C. Price, Fort Worth Star-Telegram SOLDIER KICKS A CIVILIAN EXECUTION OF GOVERNMENT LEADERS SLUMPED BODIES AFTERWARDS
135 136
137 138 139 140
141 142 143 144
XVII
1981 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE LIVING CONDITIONS IN THE MICHIGAN STATE PRISON AT JACKSON IN 1980 By Taro M. Yamasaki, Detroit Free Press PRISON CELLS SUPERVISING GUARD OBSERVATION OFFICER 1982 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON PRESIDENT REAGAN IN WASHINGTON IN 1981 By Ron Edmonds, The Associated Press SHOT PRESIDENT PUSHED INTO LIMOUSINE SECRET SERVICE AGENT GIVES COMMANDS WOUNDED PRESIDENTIAL AIDES LIE ON STREET 1982 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT ARMY MEMBERS, POLICE DUTIES AND MUSIC EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS IN 1981 By John H. White, Chicago Sun-Times SEARCHING POLICE OFFICER SPECIAL VIOLONIST TECHNIQUE NATIONAL GUARD GROUP 1983 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF A MASSACRE IN A BEIRUT CAMP IN 1982 By Bill Foley, The Associated Press STREET SCENE AFTER THE MASSACRE NUMEROUS BODIES LIE IN STREETS ON THE WAY TO A MEMORIAL SERVICE 1983 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH DURING THE EL SALVADOR CIVIL WAR IN 1982 By James B. Dickman, Dallas Times Herald WOMEN TAKEN FROM HER HOME BY DEATH SQUAD INNOCENT CHILDREN IN RAMSHACKLE REFUGEE CAMPS BODY OF A FAMILY MEMBER PLACED ON A TABLE
145 146 147 148
149 150 151 152
153 154 155 156
157 158 159 160
161 162 163 164
XVIII 1984 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT SOME EFFECTS OF THE WAR ON THE PEOPLE OF LEBANON IN 1983 By Stan Grossfeld, The Boston Globe FRIGHTENED CHILDREN PLAYING ORPHANS PALESTINIAN WIDOW < 1984 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY GRIEVING AND THE EFFECTS OF STARVATION IN ETHIOPIA IN 1983 By Anthony Suau, The Denver Post SOLDIER'S GRIEVING WIDOW HUNGRY ETHIOPIAN BABY WOMAN AT A WATER HOLE 1985 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT SOME HIGHLIGHTS AND TRAGEDIES AT THE L.A. OLYMPICS IN 1984 By Rick Rickman et al., The Register, Santa Ana DISMOUNT FROM THE RINGS EXHAUSTED MARATHON COMPETITOR MISFORTUNE IN A SEMIFINAL 1985 b FEATURE AWARD (I) ABOUT ILLEGAL MEXICANS AT THE U.S. BORDER AND FAMINE IN ETHIOPIA IN 1984 By Stan Grossfeld, The Boston Globe MEXICANS TRY TO MOVE INTO THE UNITED STATES LONG LINE OF ETHIOPIANS LEAVING THEIR COUNTRY ETHIOPIANS FLEEING TO FOOD RELIEF CAMPS IN SUDAN 1985 b FEATURE AWARD (II) ABOUT WAR VICTIMS OF THE FIGHTS IN ANGOLA AND EL SALVADOR IN 1984 By Larry C. Price, The Philadelphia Inquirer FAMILY FLEES FROM EL SALVADOR FOOD FOR SALVADORIAN CHILDREN ANGOLAN WOMEN GREET SOLDIERS
165 166 167 168
169 170 171 172
173 174 175 176
177 178 179 180
181 182 183 184
XIX 1986 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE DEVASTATION AFTER A COLOMBIA VOLCANO ERUPTION IN 1985 By Carol Guzy / Michel du Cille, The Miami Herald RESCUE WORKERS' AND VICTIMS TEENAGER IN DANGER TO LIFE HELICOPTER LIFTS A SURVIVOR 1986 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT HOMELESS PEOPLE AT THE STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA IN 1985 By Tom Gralish, The Philadelphia Inquirer AIDING A MAN ASLEEP HELPING A HOT-DOG VENDOR WATCHING RESTAURANT CUSTOMERS 1987 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE FALL OF MARCOS' AUTOCRATIC SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES IN 1986 By Kim Komenich, San Francisco Examiner FERDINAND MARCOS' LAST BATTLE MARCOS AND HIS WORRIED LOOKING WIFE TRIBESMEN EXORCISE A MARCOS STATUE 1987 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE SHATTERED ECONOMIC DREAMS OF MANY AMERICAN FARMERS IN 1986 By David C. Peterson, The Des Moines Register COUPLE FORCED TO SELL THEIR FARM SELLING THE FARM AND MOVING TO TOWN ONE HUNDRED-YEAR OLD FARM SOLD 1988 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT A BABY'S ACCIDENT AND THE SUCCESSFUL LIFESAVING PROCEDURES IN 1987 By Scott A. Shaw, The Odessa American RESCUE OF A CHILD
185 186 187 188
189 190 191 192
193 194 195 196
197 198 199 200
201 202
XX 1988 b FEATURE A W A R D ABOUT DESCRIBING AND ANALYZING THE GRADUAL DECAY OF DRUG CONSUMERS IN 1987
203
By Michel du Cille, The Miami Herald MAN SMOKING CRACK FROM A PIPE WOMAN TEMPTED INTO CRACK SCENE WEEPING MAN AFTER HIS ARREST 1989 a S P O T A W A R D ABOUT THE RESCUE ATTEMPTS AT A BURNING ST. LOUIS APARTMENT BUILDING IN 1988 By Ron Olshwanger, St. Louis
204 205 206
207
Post-Dispatch
FIRST AID BY FIREFIGHTER
208
1989 b FEATURE A W A R D ABOUT SOME FACETS OF STUDENT LIFE AT A DETROIT HIGH SCHOOL IN 1988 209 By Manny Crisostomo, Detroit Free Press THREE OUT OF FOUR DROPPED OUT LINING UP FOR GRADUATION CEREMONIES ENJOYING A STUDENTS' GARDEN PARTY 1990 a S P O T A W A R D ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO KILLER EARTHQUAKE IN 1989
210 211 212
213
By Roy H. Williams et al., The Tribune, Oakland MAN RESCUED FROM A COLLAPSED BRIDGE WOMAN ESCAPED AND SAVED HER LIFE COUPLE IN SAFETY AFTER THE DESTRUCTION 1990 b FEATURE A W A R D ABOUT THE POLITICAL UPRISINGS IN CHINA AND ROMANIA IN 1989
214 215 216
217
By David C. Turnley, Detroit Free Press MAN KILLED AT TIANANMEN SQUARE DAYS AFTER THE BEIJING MASSACRE AFTER THE CEAUSESCU ERA IN ROMANIA
218 219 220
XXI 1991 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS MURDERING A SUPPOSED ENEMY IN 1990 By Greg Marinovich, The Associated
221
Press
MAN BEING ATTACKED DURING FACTIONAL VIOLENCE BEATING AND STONING OF THE VICTIM FINALLY THE VICTIM WAS SET ON FIRE
222 223 224
1991 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT ORPHANED CHILDREN LIVING IN POST-COMMUNIST ROMANIA IN 1990
225
By William D. Snyder, The Dallas Morning News RESPONSIBLE FOR TWENTY CHILDREN ON THE WAY TO GATHER FOOD TEENAGE BOY BEHIND BARBED WIRE
226 227 228
1992 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT AN ATTEMPTED COMMUNIST COUP D'ETAT IN MOSCOW IN 1991 By Liu Heung-Shing et al., The Associated CONVOY OF SOVIET TANKS INVADES TOPPLED STATUE OF KGB FOUNDER BORIS YELTSIN AFTER FAILED COUP
230 231 232
1992 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE LIFESTYLES OF TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLDS ACROSS THE U.S. IN 1991 By John Kaplan, Block
229
Press
233
Newspapers
BAND MEMBER WITH HIS PET BOA HARVARD STUDENT IN HER DORM ROOM BOY DISPLAYS HIMSELF ON THE STREET
234 235 236
1993 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES IN BARCELONA IN 1992 By Ken Geiger / William D. Snyder, The Dallas Morning SOCCER GAME U.S. AGAINST ITALY BASKETBALL PLAY OF U.S. AND ANGOLA POLE VAULT WORLD RECORD HOLDER
237
News 238 239 240
XXII 1993 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT SOME IMAGES OF BILL CLINTON'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IN 1992 By J. Scott Applewhite et al., The Associated Press SMALL TALK IN NEW HAMPSHIRE EARLY BIRD SPEECH IN TEXAS SAXOPHONE PLAYER IN GEORGIA
1994 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE DANGEROUS AMERICAN MISSION TO SOMALIA'S CAPITAL MOGADISHU IN 1993 By Paul R. Watson, The Toronto Star KILLED AMERICAN SOLDIER
1994 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT A COLLAPSED SUDANESE GIRL ON HER WAY TO A FEEDING CENTER IN 1993 By Kevin Carter, The New York Times AN ICON OF STARVATION
1995 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE POLITICAL CRISIS IN THE STATE OF HAITI AND ITS AFTERMATH IN 1994 By Carol Guzy, The Washington Post HAITIANS SALUTE U.S. ARMY HELICOPTER U.S. SOLDIERS PROTECTING A HAITIAN CELEBRATION OF PRESIDENTS RETURN
1995 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE FLIGHT OF RWANDANS TO OVERCROWDED ZAIRE CAMPS IN 1994 By Jacqueline Artz et al., The Associated Press HUTU BOY AND HIS DYING MOTHER CHILD TOO WEAK TO STAND IN VACCINATION LINE REFUGEE CHILDREN SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES
1996 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA CITY BLAST AND THE RESCUE OF A VICTIM IN 1995 By Charles H. Porter IV, The Associated Press SEARCH FOR VICTIMS IN DESTROYED BUILDING A BABY BODY IS FOUND IN THE CHAOS FIREFIGHTER AND DEAD BABY
241 242 243 244
245 246
247 248
249 250 251 252
253 254 255 256
257 258 259 260
XXIII
1996 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT A KENYAN GIRL SUFFERING FROM A SHOCKING CIRCUMCISION RITE IN 1995 261 By Stephanie Welsh, Newhouse News Service DURING THE CUTTING 262 AFTER THE MARTYRIUM 263 DOUBTS AND FEARS 264 1997 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT THE HEAVY CALIFORNIA FLOODWATER CATASTROPHE IN 1996 265 By Annie J. Wells, The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa LAST MINUTE RESCUE SUCCESS 266 1997 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT IN ACTION AT A ROCK CONCERT IN ROSTOV IN 1996 By Alexander V. Zemlianichenko, The Associated Press DANCING BORIS YELTSIN
267 268
1998 a SPOT AWARD ABOUT HUMAN TRAGEDIES IN CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN 1997 269 By Martha Rial, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette REFUGEE TRAIN FROM RWANDA 270 CARING FOR A TANZANIAN ORPHAN 271 FLEEING MAN FROM BURUNDI 272 1998 b FEATURE AWARD ABOUT YOUNG CHILDREN OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSING ADULTS IN 1997 273 By Clarence J. Williams IH, Los Angeles Times ALCOHOLIC FATHER AND HIS SON 274 WOMAN SCREAMING AT YOUNG BOY 275 BOY DIGS THROUGH GARBAGE CONTAINER 276 WINNERS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD, 1999 - 2009
277
INDEX
279
THIS V O L U M E IS DEDICATED TO
A A R O N C O P L A N D (1900-1990) - P U L I T Z E R PRIZE WINNER 1 9 4 5 O N HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY
XXV
INTRODUCTION HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PULITZER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
PRIZE
by Heinz-Dietrich Fischer
The testament of Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911) did not designate specific awards for illustrated works among the several prizes intended for outstanding journalistic achievements. After adding a new Pulitzer Prize for "editorial cartoons" as early as 1922,1 it still took roughly another two decades before it was taken into consideration to honor the field of photo-journalism in a corresponding way. In the meantime the status of the press photographer had changed completely as the work of this group of men and women had advanced from being of minor importance to providing substantial support for the reputation of all newspapers. "The photographer," an author once vividly described the change that had occurred, "became a reporter in his own medium, a photo story teller, a photo essayist, a photo analyst." But, he continued, "the editors lagged behind this new development in journalism... because too many editors, for a time at least, could not shake off the old superstition that a photograph, regardless of how revealing it might be, was still a waste of newsprint."2 Attitudes like these on part of the journalism publishing business thus might have contributed to the fact that a Pulitzer Prize for "Photography" was first established only as late as 1942.3 As the exact reasons that led to the creation of said new award, especially during the troubled times of World War II, are no longer available,4 it can only be presumed that in those years an increasing use of photographs in the press encouraged such a decision. When this new prize - the fifth among the journalistic categories - was presented for the first time, the definition for the award read as follows: "For an outstanding example of news photography as exemplified by a news 1 Cf. Heinz-D. Fischet/Erika J. Fischer (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prize Archive, Vol. 13: Editorial Cartoon Awards, 1922-1997, München 1999, pp. XXI ff. 2 Julius H. Klyman, Photography Awards, in: Columbia Library Columns (New York, N.Y.), Vol. VI/ No. 3, May 1957, pp. 28 f. 3 Cf. John Hohenberg, The Pulitzer Prizes. A History of the Awards in Books, Drama, Music, and Journalism, New York - London 1974, p. 134. 4 Letter from Edward M. Kliment, Assistant Administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, Columbia University, New York, to the author, August 9,1999, p. 1.
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photograph published in a daily newspaper."5 With this very general characterization of the prize at hand the jurors (Herbert Brucker, Richard F. Crandell and Roscoe B. Ellard) in the spring of 1942 went to work and with a sense of great satisfaction remarked in their report: "This prize, awarded for the first time this year, attracted 109 entries, by far the largest number in any category. The number of pictures submitted was even greater, since many competitors submitted more than one photograph. This enthusiastic response amply justifies (the) establishment of the prize. An award to a single photograph, however," the jury begged to consider, "offers a number of difficulties. Other competitions... divide their awards into several classifications. By contrast the Advisory Board has to choose not only among individual photographs but also among types of pictures like spot news (including horror pictures), feature, pictorial, personalities, and sports photographs. The problem becomes one of picking a representative scene. This will necessarily omit the other categories, some of which (like sports) occupy much of the news photographer's time, and interest a large section of the public. There is a further problem," the members of the jury ended their basic reflections, "of choosing a photograph representative of the calendar year 1941, a year in which we were half in and half out of the war."6 "With these considerations in mind," the jury report added in another passage, "we commend to the Advisory Board the following eleven photographs... 1. 'God Forbid the Day when a Bunch of Floggers Can Intimidate the Free Press of a State,' by Guy Hayes of the Atlanta Journal', 2. 'A U.S. Ship Is Torpedoed,' by James E. Earle of the New York Daily News; 3. 'German Spy,' by Morris Engel of PM Newspaper, 4. 'Lewis and Murray Leave Coal Conference,' by B. H. Rollins of Wide World Photos', 5. 'Ford Strikers Riot,' by Milton Brooks of the Detroit News; 6. 'King George V.,' by John Hammar of the New York Daily News; 7. 'Angels of Mercy,' by Ira Rosenberg of the New York Herald Tribune; 8. 'Good-Bye, My Son,' by Martin J. Cooney of the Decatur Herald & Review; 9. 'There Was No Guard,' by Tony Oreb of the Los Angeles Examiner; 10. 'Ginger's Joyful Tears,' by Felix Paegel of the Los Angeles Examiner; 11. 'Foul into the Stands', by Murray Becker of the Associated Press Newsphoto Service."7 This list of 11 photographs out of a total of 109 submissions posed considerable problems for the Advisory Board. In the end, it decided in favor of a picture that had been described by the jurors in 5
Quoted from the Nomination form for a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism, Columbia University, New York, 1942, p. 1. 6 Herbert Brucker/Richard F. Crandell/Roscoe B. Ellard, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (Spring 1942), pp. 1 f. 7 Ibid., pp. 2 ff.
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the following words: "This brutal picture comes closest to the category of horror pictures of which, of course, a considerable number are included in the nominations... It sums up much of the labor history of 1941..."8 The photograph in question was the fifth on the jury's list. It was called "Ford Strikers Riot" and won the award in the end, meaning that Milton Brooks of the Detroit News was honored for outstanding news photography.9 The jury of 1943 had only one member (Eleanor Carroll) who, after the date of application had passed, had to deal with an unexpected situation as this juror imparted in a confidential letter to the President of Columbia University: "I have to report that the nominations received in this category for 1942 are unsatisfactory. After consultation with Dean Ackerman... it was decided to extend the date for the submitting of news photographs to March 31 (1943) and through Editor & Publisher," the leading journalism magazine, "to attract a larger and more representative exhibit."10 Whereas in the beginning only 20 submissions had come in, after this extension of the deadline, which was accompanied by encouraging action by eminent members of the journalistic trade, the juror could contentedly summarize as soon as early April that "the total number of news photographs received to date for Pulitzer Prize consideration is now 128."11 All in all the juror deemed 13 photographs to be prize-worthy and arranged them on her short-list according to their subject matter: Two nominations belonged to the field of "crime", another two each were of the genres of "horror" and "personality". Seven pictures depicted moments of "war", among them, presented here in the ranking provided by the jury's short-list: 1. "Water!," by Frank Noel of the Associated Press', 2. "Safe Return," by Jack Rice of the Associated Press-, 3. "Morocco," by Samuel Schulman of International News Photos', 4. "Blister View," by Samuel Shere of International News Photos', 5. "Magazine of the U.S.S. Shaw Explodes;" 6. "U.S.S. West Virginia Aflame," as well as 7. "Naval Air Station." The last three photographs mentioned were all part of an entry by "Official U.S. Navy Photographers," that did not give the names of the respective men who had taken those pictures.12 The Advisory Board voted for the photograph ranking first on the list of war photography and declared Frank Noel of the Associated Press the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his work "Water!"13 8 9 10 11 12 13
Ibid., p. 3. Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes 1917-1991, New York 1991, p. 44. Eleanor Carroll, Letter to Columbia President Nicholas M. Butler, New York, March 18, 1943, p. 1. Eleanor Carroll, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, April 2, 1943, p. 1. Ibid., pp. 3-7. Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 44.
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The jury of 1944 (Robert E. MacAlarney and Fred J. Pannwitt) had to sift through 84 photographs that had been submitted, and once again, as could be expected, the material at hand was dominated by pictures dealing with various aspects of World War II. "In our judgment," the members of the jury wrote in their report, "two photographs hold top ranking among the entries. Although both are war pictures, they differ widely in theme, and no attempt is made by the committee to reach a decision between them. The two pictures are these: 1. Tarawa Island,' by Frank Filan of the Associated Press-, 2. 'Wounded Soldier Receiving Blood Plasma,' by a Signal Corps photographer of the United States Army. Mr. Filan's Picture," the jury report continues, "taken under extremely difficult conditions, depicts the awful carnage of Tarawa in gruesome detail. It is not a picture for weak stomachs, but in its stark realism it tells a true story of war at its ugliest... The picture of the wounded soldier receiving an infusion of blood plasma," it says in the report about the second of the two finalists mentioned above, "is already a classic, and has been reproduced so many times as a part of the Red Cross campaign for blood donors that it is a familiar scene."14 Besides these two favorites for the prize the jurors also mentioned 7 additional photographs "as alternate recommendations," among them in third place a picture named "Homecoming" by Earle L. Bunker of the Omaha World-Herald showing a seven-year-old girl falling into her father's arms after he had been away in the military for 16 months.15 The Advisory Board this time decided to split the photography award and bestowed the prize in equal parts on Frank Filan of the Associated Press for his picture "Tarawa Island," as well as on Earle L. Bunker of the Omaha World-Herald for his subject "Homecoming."16 The one person acting as jury in 1945 (Roscoe B. Ellard) had to choose among 41 entries from nine American states. "I suggest," he wrote in his report, "the following seven photographs as the best from the standpoint of news reported, news value of subjects portrayed, and the quality of action present or implied: 1. 'Family Reading of Son's Parachute Landing,' by Victor Peterson of the Indianapolis Times', 2. 'American Soldiers Marching under the Arc de Triomphe,' by Peter J. Carroll of the Associated Press; 3.'Gun Crew in Action in Rain Storm,' by Frank Prist of Acme Pictures', 4. 'Fan from Japan,' by David Mann of the Chicago Sun; 5. 'Sewell Avery Carried from His Office by Two Soldiers,' by Harry Hall of the Associated Press', 6. 'Warrior's Return - a Wounded Veteran Greeting Family,' by Morris Neufeld of International News 14 Robert E. MacAlamey/Fred J. Pannwitt, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, March 20, 1944, pp. 1 f. 15 Ibid., pp. 2 f. 16 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 44.
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Photos, as well as 7. 'Crowd Crouching from Snipers' Fire in Paris,' by Andy Lopez of Acme Pictures."11 In addition the juror presented another group of 6 photographs that for him also had to be considered "excellent news shots,"18 although with regards to their impact they could not be compared with the 7 pictures on top of his list. The Advisory Board, however, for the first time in this category made use of its basic right not to select any of the jury's recommendations and gave the award to a photographer who had not even been mentioned on the jury's short-list. And so the Pulitzer Prize of 1945 went to the "Photograph of the Marines Planting the American Flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima," shot by Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press.19 As the Rosenthal picture, which he himself would later call "the greatest photograph of World War II," had first taken in February 1945, it actually should not have been eligible for the award of the same year. But "when the Advisory Board met on April 27, 1945," as John Hohenberg explains the decision, "it swept aside the technicality that only photographs taken in 1944 were eligible for the 1945 prize. Rosenthal's was the picture that had dominated the front page of almost every American daily newspaper, that had been reprinted abroad, that had touched off a wave of patriotic pride in American fighting men rarely matched in American history"20 and that later served as model for the monumental "Iwo Jima Memorial" in Washington near "Arlington National Cemetery."21 Although none of his proposals had been accepted, Roscoe B. Ellard also served as member of the jury in 1946, together with an additional juror, Richard F. Crandell. These two narrowed down the competition from 44 entries all in all to the following six prizeworthy finalists: a) "They Have No Home," by Conrad Mercurie of the Los Angeles Examiner, b) "Rigor Mortis," by Carmen Reporto of the Chicago Sun; c) "And That These Honored Dead," by David Mann of the Chicago Sun; d) "Who Is That Man?," by David Mann of the Chicago Sun; e) "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!," by Caroline Valentina of the Houston Post, as well as f) "Jap Surrenders in Jungle," by Dave Davis of Acme Newspictures.22 Yet again the Advisory Board was not inclined to accept any of the chosen finalists mentioned in the jury report, but opted instead for "no award" in the photography category.23 17 18 19 20 21
Roscoe B. Ellard, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, March 10, 1945, p. 1. Ibid. Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 44. John Hohenberg, The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., pp. 185 f. Cf. Central Washington City Map, in: Washington Flyer Magazine & Travel Guide (Washington, D.C.), July/August 1997, p. 76. 22 Roscoe B. Ellard, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, April 5,1946, p. 1. 23 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 44.
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In 1947 a new jury (E. Z. Dimitman and N. R. Howard) took on the task of selecting from the entries submitted and suggested Arnold Hardy, an amateur photographer from Atlanta, who won "for his photo of girl leaping to death in hotel fire, distributed by the Associated Press."2* Yet again two different jurors (Herbert F. Corn and Neil H. Swanson) went to work in 1948. This time the Advisory Board declared Frank Cushing of the Boston Traveler to be the winner of the Pulitzer Prize "for his photo 'Boy Gunman and Hostage.'"25 The jury that had to decide upon which photograph was the most outstanding achievement in 1949 was once again made up of two completely new members (John P. Harris and Moses H. Williams), and the Advisory Board chose Nathaniel Fein of the New York Herald-Tribune, whose extraordinary picture "Babe Ruth Bows Out"26 thus became the first sports-themed photograph to be honored with the prestigious award.27 The two new jurors of 1950 (Carl E. Lindstrom and W. R. Walton) "eliminated all but six entries," as they explained in their report, because they were of the opinion "that 1949 was not a great picture year."28 Therefore, their list of finalists consisted merely of "Flight from Flames," by Varner M. Gould of the Kalamazoo Gazette; "Death on the Potomac," by Gene Jones of the Washington Post; "Portrait of a Breaking Heart," by George Mattson of the New York Daily News', "Oil Truck Driver Trapped in the Flames," by J. F. McBride and Russell S. Reed of the Oakland Tribune; "President and Mrs. Truman at the Army-Navy Football Game," by Herbert White of the Associated Press, as well as a photo sequence entitled "Skid Row," by a team of the Chicago Daily News.29 But the Advisory Board was once again not satisfied with any of the proposals and instead gave the award to a picture with the title "Near Collision at Air Show," by Bill Crouch of the Oakland Tribune, that had not even been mentioned in the jury report.30 The two members that served on the jury in the previous year (Carl E. Lindstrom and W. R. Walton) took up the task in 1951 as well. They presented a list of five recommendations as follows: (1) "Flight of Refugees across Wrecked Bridge in Korea," by Max Desfor of the Associated Press as part of an album of 56 Korean warfront pictures; (2) "Death on Truman 24 25 26 27
Ibid. Ibid. ¡bid. Cf. Heinz-Dietrich Fischer: Sports Journalism At Its Best. Pulitzer Prize-Winning Articles, Cartoons, and Photographs, Chicago 1995, pp. 32 ff. 28 Carl E. Lindstrom/W. R. Walton, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (ca. March 1950), p. 1. 29 ¡bid., pp. 2 ff. 30 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 44.
XXXI
Road," by Joseph D. Wellington of the Kansas City Star, (3) "Spiritual Aid for a Soldier," by Max Desfor of the Associated Press; (4) "Good-Byes Come Hard," by Harry W. Batz Jr., of the Hartford Courant, as well as (5) "The Sun is Loaded," by William Wallace of the New York Daily News?1 "The Korean warfront pictures taken by Max Desfor of the Associated Press," as the jury justified their odds-on favorite, "represent camera reporting of so outstanding a nature as to sweep aside any single-shot entries of the... competition. Any single selection from this album would leave out many equally worthy shots and would not convey the comprehensive and distinguished nature of Desfor's work. The possible exception would be his startling picture of the Koreans scrambling for their lives across the wrecked bridge. However," the jury report continues, "we prefer to regard this portfolio as a single job like the single assignment of a reporter who required a series of ten or a dozen articles to cover his story, as frequently happens. Desfor's pictures have all the qualities which make for distinguished news photography - imagination, disregard of personal safety, perception of human interest and the ability to make the camera tell the whole story."32 Faced with this commendation the Advisory Board consented and bestowed the Pulitzer Prize on Max Desfor of the Associated Press "for his photographic coverage of the Korean War, an outstanding example for which is 'Flight of Refugees across Wrecked Bridge in Korea.'"33 In 1952 the selection process of the jury (Carl E. Lindstrom and H. D. Paulson) resulted in the second win for a sports-themed entry in the history of this prize category.34 The team of John Robinson and Don Ultang of the Des Moines Register and Tribune received the award "for their sequence of six pictures of the Drake-Oklahoma A & M football game... in which player Johnny Bright's jaw was broken."35 The jury of 1953 (Oxie Reichler and Miles H. Wolff) "agreed upon five" finalists which they "liked best" which are given here in alphabetical order by photographer: "Battle Casualties" and "Return from Triangle Hill," by Dave Cicero of the International News Service; "Queen Elizabeth," by Charles J. Dawson of United Press; "Adlai's Worn Sole," by William M. Gallagher of the Flint Journal; "Half-Inch from Death," by Ossie Le Viness of the New York Daily News, and "Leap from the
31 Carl E. Lindstroro/W. R. Walton, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1951), p. 1. 32 Ibid., p. 2. 33 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 44. 34 Cf. Heinz-Dietrich Fischer, Sports Journalism At Its Best, op. cit., pp. 34 ff. 35 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 44.
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Bridge," by Robert Wendlinger of the New York Mirror.36 In addition the jurors suggested another six candidates, while making it clear that they regarded these as inferior to the group listed at the very beginning of their report, namely: "Blind again," by Vic Condiotty of the Seattle Times-, "Prone Reporters Get an Earful," by Edward De Luca of the Chicago Daily News-, "A Sailor's Welcome," by Vincent Lopez of the New York Journal-American-, "Tearful Farewell to a Dog," by Harold V. Lyle of the Topefca Daily Capital, "Quack Whack," by Herbert Scharfman of the International News Service, and "Panhandling Costello," by Evelyn Straus of the New York Daily News,37 In the end the Advisory Board decided to give the award to William M. Gallagher of the Flint Journal "for a photo of Ex-Governor Adlai E. Stevenson with a hole in his shoe."38 In 1954 the task of checking through the entries once again fell to another two jurors (Edward J. Gerrity and Sam L. Latimer Jr.), and the Advisory Board selected a female amateur photographer from California, Virginia Schau. She received the Pulitzer Prize "for snapping a thrilling rescue at Redding, Ca., the picture being published in the Akron Beacon Journal and other newspapers and nationally distributed by the Associated Press."39 When the awards were discussed in 1955, the members of the jury (Vincent S. Jones and Sam L. Latimer Jr.) put together a list of five finalists that read as follows: (1) "Sequence (of) pictures of a sensational catch... in the.... World Series," by John Lindsay and Mathew Zimmerman of the Associated Press-, (2) "The Shooting of a Dangerous Escaped Mental Patient," by Chris Button and Louis Oberste Jr., distributed by the Associated Press; (3) "Eclipse over Minneapolis," by Roy Swan of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune', (4) "Tragedy in the Surf," by John L. Gaunt Jr., of the Los Angeles Times', (5) "Hurricane Carol," by Charles Flagg of the Quincy Patriot Ledger,40 The jury also recommended to "review the rules governing this category... Limiting the award to 'an outstanding example of news photography as exemplified by a news photograph'... arbitrarily restricts the number of entries and thus may make it impossible to recognize outstanding achievements and contributions to the whole field of news photography... We do not necessarily advocate more prizes, but rather a broadening of the category."41 First of all the Advi36 Oxie Reichler/Miles H. Wolff, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, March 10, 1953, p. 1. 37 Ibid., pp. 1 f. 38 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 44. 39 Ibid., p. 44. 40 Vincent S. Jones/Sam L. Latimer Jr., Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1955), pp. 1 f. 41 Ibid., pp. 2 f.
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sory Board had to choose the prize winner of 1955, and in the end awarded the prize to John L. Gaunt Jr., of the Los Angeles Times "for a photo that is poignant and profoundly moving, entitled 'Tragedy by the Sea."'42 In part the suggestions of the jurors concerning the definition of the prize would result in changes in the following year of 1956, when the jury (George W. Healy Jr. and Vincent S. Jones) at first presented these ten finalists: (1) "Rescue," by John Grosevich of the Scranton Times; (2) "Alone," by Harvey Webber of Newsday; (3) "Flood Disaster," by Peter Carroll of the Associated Press-, (4) "Torn and Gutted," by Henry F. Murphy of the Hartford Times-, (5) "Ship Hits Bridge," by James R. Burbage of the Charleston Evening Post-, (6) "Boston Prison Riot," by Eugene Dixon and Oliver Noonan of the Boston American-, (7) "Skowron versus Campanella," by Harry Harris of the Associated Press, (8) "The Walls Came Tumbling down," by Robert Kennedy of Philadelphia; (9) "Destruction," by Jerry A. Clark of the Wichita Beacon, as well as (10) "Wrong Evening," by Joe Mastruzzo of the Chicago American43 "In addition," the jury report continues verbatim, "the jurors strongly recommend special recognition for consistent excellent picture coverage by a newspaper staff. For consideration, the jurors cite the staff entry from the New York Daily News entered as a group... As a typical example therein the jurors cite... 'Bomber Crashes in Street,"' by George Mattson of that newspaper.44 In fact the Advisory Board dealt extensively with the arguments proffered by the jury and in the end came to a decision: Instead of bestowing all of the awards to individuals as had been done up till then the award for the first time was given to a group of photographers, in this case to the staff of the "New York Daily News for its consistently excellent news picture coverage..., an outstanding example of which is its photo 'Bomber Crashes in Street.'"45 Because of this the year of 1956 - also marking the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the Pulitzer Prize system - became a sort of watershed, although the decision to honor a newspaper instead of a single photographer as had been wont turned out to be the one exception to the rule for years to come.46 In that year the photography award itself was only fifteen years old, and yet it was said that since it came into being "photography was already making its mark" in the American news media. This is why the jury of 1957 (Richard Clarke, Vincent S. Jones and Julius H. Klyman) made still further 42 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cti., p. 44. 43 George W. Healy Jr./Vincent S. Jones, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1956), p. 1. 44 Ibid. 45 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit„ p. 45. 46 Julius H. Klyman, Photography Awards, op. cit., p. 30.
XXXIV suggestions to improve the way the photo award should be defined in future, especially with regard to "broadening the award to fit the changing times" in journalism.47 To demonstrate that this was indeed necessary the jurors included ten submissions on their short-list from the beginning, namely Harry A. Trask of the Boston Traveler, Ira Rosenberg of the New York HeraldTribune, Arthur Rickerby of United Press Newspictures, Robert H. Laird of the New York Journal-American, Joe Holloway Jr. of the Montgomery Advertiser-Journal, Don Tompkins of the Santa Monica Outlook, Charles Vendetti of the Hartford Times, Hal Mathewson of the New York Daily News, Paul Bernius of the New York Daily News, as well as Walter Kelleher of the New York Daily News.46 The photographer ranking first on this list, Harry A. Trask, was clearly the favorite of the jury, not because of a single picture but because of a series of four photographs.49 The Advisory Board accepted this proposition, and so Harry A. Trask of the Boston Traveler received the coveted award "for his dramatic and outstanding photographic sequence of the sinking of the liner Andrea Doria" in the Atlantic.50 The three acting members of the jury in 1958 (Vincent S. Jones, Julius H. Klyman and Ralph McGill) made it abundantly clear right at the very beginning of their report that they were "disappointed at the calibre of entries, which impressed us as being far below the standards of recent years... Many of the leading picture-producing newspapers are not represented in this year's competition. Unlike last year, there was no single picture which impressed us as being outstanding and, in fact, distressingly few pictures which deserve consideration for a prize of this rank."51 Nevertheless, the jurors decided to present the following five single entries that were deemed to be acceptable to at least some degree: "1. 'Hatred in Prejudice,' by William P. Straeter... of the Associated Press. Of all the pictures taken in the course of the troubles at Little Rock this one, in our opinion, best sums up the story of the great American dilemma...; 2. "The Kick in the Ribs,' by Wil Counts of the Arkansas Democrat../, 3. 'Hoodlum in True Colors,' by James Mahan of International News Photos...; 4. 'Faith and Confidence,' by William C. Beall of the Washington Daily News. A Policeman talking understandingly to a two-year-old boy trying to cross a street at parade time. An appealing picture which made a profound impression on readers; 5. 'Dirty Face,' by Eldred C. Reaney of the 47 Richard Clarke/Vincent S. Jones/Julius H. Klyman, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, March 12, 1957, p. 1.
48 Ibid., p. 2.
49 ibid. 50 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45. 51 Vincent S. Jones/Julius H. Klyman/Ralph McGill, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1958), p. 1.
XXXV Nashville Tennessean. An appealing photograph, but an appallingly poor print."52 The report contained two additional suggestions for group awards, citing the New York Daily News as well as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,53 but the Advisory Board voted in favor of the photographer ranking fourth on the jury's short-list. This is how the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding photographic achievement went to William C. Beall of the Washington Daily News "for his photograph 'Faith and Confidence.'" 54 The jury of 1959 (Tom C. Harris, George W. Healy Jr. and Julius H. Klyman) had to look through more than 200 photos before being able to narrow down the competition to the following list of finalists: First on this list was "Henry L. Griffin of the Associated Press: All four prints in this entry, a photographic report of the demonstration in Caracas, Venezuela, against VicePresident Richard Nixon, are excellent... This entry.... records an incident of great international significance. The photographer.... showed courage, calmness and high skill under great pressure in performing a service of high quality for newspaper readers of the world. Second in the judgment of your jurors," the report continues, "is Stephen Lasker of the Chicago American, a single picture showing a Chicago fireman carrying a boy's body from the... school fire. All of the pathos of this great tragedy is mirrored in the expression on the fireman's face. Third in the judgment of the jurors is... William Seaman of the Minneapolis Star. All of the elements of the tragedy of sudden death of a child were caught by the cameraman in this expressive photograph. Fourth choice is a series of pictures of a bus tragedy, by Billy Davis of the Louisville Courier Journal... Fifth choice is a sports picture by Edward Feeney of the Chicago Tribune."55 The Advisory Board was most impressed by one of those two pictures that depicted events that had deadly consequences for children, and thus, in the end, it was William Seaman of the Minneapolis Star, ranking third on the jurors' list, who received the famous prize "for his dramatic photograph of the sudden death of a child in the street."56 After examining all the submissions on hand the jury of 1960 (John S. Gillen, John R. Herbert and John D. Paulson) had only one clear favorite that was obvious. "The outstanding example of news photography," it can be read in the report, "is the series of 28 photographs taken by a team of Associated Press news photographers covering the Khrushchev tour of the United 52 53 54 55
Ibid.,pp. I f . Ibid., pp. 2 f. Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45. Tom C. Hams/George W. Healy JrVJulius H. Klyman, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, March 13, 1959, p. 1. 56 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45.
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States. The exhibit included several pictures of outstanding dramatic merit... The following entries," it is stated later on, "show excellent photo coverage of single incidents... These entries are: 1. The series showing a fatal canoe accident taken by a 20-year-old student, Donald Nevin, and submitted to the Boston Globe-, 2. One of four in a series, the photo we picked was taken by Andrew Lopez... of the United Press International. It shows a priest comforting a condemned Cuban; 3. A picture of a four-year-old distressed that he cannot go to school with his pals, taken by Eugene Hackley... for the Los Angeles Mirror-News; 4. ... A series of six pictures showing the payoff to a grand jury foreman. - The pictures were taken by the Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution staffs; 5. An outstanding example of sequence photography showing a baseball player being drenched with beer spilled by an excited spectator in a World Series game at Chicago. The sequence was taken by Chicago Tribune photographer Raymond Gora."57 The Advisory Board was not at all impressed by the suggestion at the top of the list but rather chose the photographer ranking second. Thus it announced that Andrew Lopez of United Press International was winner of the Pulitzer Prize "for his series of four photographs of a corporal, formerly of Dictator Batista's army, who was executed by a Castro firing squad, the principal picture showing the condemned man receiving last rites."58 Without giving any explanation as to how they had arrived to their selection, the jury of 1961 (Vincent S. Jones, Julius H. Klyman and Harry Montgomery) just briefly presented the following list of finalists recommended for the award: "Tokyo Stabbing," by Yasushi Nagao... and distributed by United Press International, "Indianapolis Grandstand Collapse," by J. Parke Randall; "Boy Survivor of Brooklyn Air Crash," by Paul Bernius of the New York Daily News; "Algerian Riot," by Claude Palmer and distributed by the Associated Press; "Boat Accident," by Dan Hightower of the St. Petersburg Times; "Caroline Kennedy and her Birthday," by James Atherton and distributed by United Press International.59 The Advisory Board had no problems at all in arriving at the decision that the Pulitzer Prize should go to the first suggestion on that list, and so Yasushi Nagao was honored "for his photograph 'Tokyo Stabbing,' distributed by United Press International and widely printed in American newspapers."60 The short-list of 1962 used even less words as 57 John S. Gillen/John R. Herbert/John D. Paulson, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1960), p. 1. 58 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45. 59 Vincent S. Jones/Julius H. KJyman/Harry Montgomery, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, March 10, 1961, p. 1. 60 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45.
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Source: Editor & Publisher (New York), Vol. 94/No. 18, May 6, 1961, p. 8.
XXXVIII
the three jurors (Vincent S. Jones, Julius H. Klyman and Felix R. McKnight) did not even bother to give any information about the medium for which the final four contestants were working. As a result, the jury report imparts comparatively few details: "Serious Steps" - Eisenhower and Kennedy confer at the time of the Cuban crisis, by Paul Athis (recte: Vathis!); "Turned Away" West Berlin, by Edwin Reichert; "Duty," by Horst Faas; "Leap to Freedom," by Peter Leibing.61 The Advisory Board once again chose the person ranking first and this is why the Pulitzer Prize went to Paul Vathis of the Associated Press "for his photograph 'Serious Steps.'"62 In stark contrast to the previous year, the jury report of 1963 contained much more information and a more thorough explanation with regard to the motives of the jury (Charles O. Kilpatrick, Michael J. Ogden and Vermont C. Royster). Right at the top of its list was an entry marked "winner" with the title "Aid From The Padre," by Hector Rondon. "The jury is unanimous and enthusiastic in its selection of the priest holding the soldier wounded in the Venezuelan insurrection," the jurors stated verbatim, adding: "In drama, impact, composition, to say nothing of the dangers faced by the photographer in making this remarkable shot, there seems to be no question of this being the year's top news picture. The remainder of Mr. Rondon's submitted work taken during this period of fighting is of similarly high quality and underscores the difficulties he encountered."63 Further on in the report it can be read: "The jury also makes these observations about other entries that reached the final stage in its deliberations: If there is to be a citation issued for technical excellence in photography, the jury would recommend the work of Anthony Spina, chief photographer of the Detroit Free Press, at the Ecumenical Council (in) Rome."64 Moreover, "three single shots impressed the jurors as good on-the-spot work: 'Man Alone,' by Richard Swanson of the Des Moines Register, 'Youngster in a Hurry,' by James Alfred Walker Jr. of the Portsmouth Ledger-Star, and 'Beach Frolic,' by Bill B. Beebe of the Los Angeles Times."65 The Advisory Board did not hesitate to bestow the award on the lavishly praised AP photographer "Hector Rondon... for his remarkable picture... 'Aid From The Padre.'"66
61 Vincent S. Jones/Julius H. Klyman/Felix R. McKnight, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, March 9, 1962, p. 1. 62 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45. 63 Charles O. Kilpatrick/Michael J. Ogden/Vermont C. Royster, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1963), p. 1. 64 Ibid. 65 Ibid. 66 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45.
XXXIX
In 1964, the jury in the photography category consisted of five members (Brady Black, William P. Hobby Jr., Victor O. Jones, Oxie Reichler and J. Russell Wiggins) for the first time. They began their report with several basic reflections concerning their function as jurors. "The photographic jury," it states to that effect, "approached its assignment with an accord on the broad concept that ought to underlie selection of news photographs in this kind of competition. It sought to find the photographs best reflecting the face of the age, symbolizing the times, representing the stresses and forces of the period, photographs that have captured an instant of history and that have portrayed it with creative art and pictorial skill and dramatic force. Guided by such criteria the... jury wishes to recommend... the following news pictures."67 Ranking first among the five finalists was Robert H. Jackson of the Dallas Times Herald; his entry was characterized very briefly as "Ruby Shooting Oswald." The next spot on the list was held by William Hudson of the Associated Press who had submitted a picture with the caption "Police Dog Lunges at Negro in Race Demonstration at Birmingham." Ranking third was Harry Leder of United Press International with a photograph depicting how "John Kennedy Jr., salutes his father." Horst Faas of the Associated Press was presented as fourth finalist for his picture "The War in Viet Nam." Robert Schutz of the Associated Press with a photograph showing "John F. Kennedy Jr.," as well as Frank Cancellare of United Press International, whose subject had been "Caroline Kennedy" also made it on the short-list, both ranking fifth.68 The Advisory Board awarded the Pulitzer Prize to Robert H. Jackson of the Dallas Times Herald in the end "for his photograph of the murder of Lee Oswald by Jack Ruby."69 After deciding on its recommendations for 1965, the four members of the photo jury (James G. Bellows, Brady Black, Jack L. Butler and Alfred Friendly) presented the following list of suggestions to the Advisory Board: "First choice: a portfolio on the Vietnam war by Associated Press photographer Horst Faas. The jury was struck by the richness and diversity of the photographer's work, consisting on the one hand of spot pictures, made in the midst of violent action, laden with the drama of the instant, and on the other hand, a series of studies filled with artistry, compassion and deep sensitivity to the tragic environment of war. Second choice: 'Blind Child,' by Dom Ligato of the Philadelphia Bulletin. Like everyone else who saw the picture, the jury 67
Brady Black/William P. Hobby JrTVictor O. Jones/Oxie Reichler/J. Russell Wiggins, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1964), p. 1. 68 Ibid. 69 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45.
XL was gripped by the marvelous paradox of joy emerging from tragedy."70 In addition to these two favorites the jurors also gave "additional recommendations without order of preference" as follows: "Riot Scene in Philadelphia," by Frank Johnston of United Press International. This photograph was described as containing "sardonic, gusty humor in a scene of violence." "Scranton Children" by Henry Burroaghs of the Associated Press showed "the harm of grieved youngsters being good sports." A picture with the title "Mississippi Notebook," by Henry Gill of the Chicago Daily News was regarded as "a distinguished photographic essay portraying an entire environment of struggle."71 Once more the Advisory Board accepted the proposition ranking first on the jury's list, thus giving the coveted award to Horst Faas of the Associated Press "for his combat photography of the war in South Vietnam during 1964."72 As John Hohenberg explains, the prize-winning entry represented "the first award for combat photography in the conflict."73 The jury of 1966 (James G. Bellows, Harding Christ, I. William Hill and Vincent S. Jones) voiced complaints in its report that "the jurors were disappointed by the relatively small number of quality entries. We believe," they also pointed out, "that editors-in-chief should be urged to take the responsibility for seeing to it that all of the many outstanding examples of photojournalism published annually in the United States are represented in this competition."74 Despite all these problems, however, they were able to draw up a list of five suggestions all together that was ranked and contained the following statements: "1. 'Portfolio on Viet Nam,' by Kyoichi Sawada, United Press International photographer; 2. 'Twin Tornado,' by Paul W. Huffman of the Elkhart Truth-, 3. 'Murder in Santo Domingo,' a sequence by James A. Bourdier of the Associated Press; 4. "Watts,' a staff portfolio from the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner," although in this case the jurors added that "proof of publication is incomplete." 5. 'Gun Battle,' by Robert Redding of the San Diego Union. Once again the members of the jury gave an additional comment, stressing that: "We consider this superior to the similar entry by John A. Sund from the same newspaper."75 With regard to the years to follow John Hohenberg observed that beginning with the acclaimed entry by Horst Faas, who had won the year before, "for the next eight years of American 70 James G. Bellows/Brady Black/Jack L. Butler/Alfred Friendly, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, March 4, 1965, p. 1. 71 Ibid. 72 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45. 73 John Hohenberg, The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 250. 74 James G. Bellows/Harding Christ/I. William Hill/Vincent S. Jones, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, March 3,1966, p. 1. 75 Ibid.
XLI participation in the struggle, there wasn't an announcement of the Pulitzer Prizes that did not contain at least one prize for outstanding journalistic performance that dealt with Vietnam."76 This remark was especially apt for the photography category, which for the second time in a row featured a winner that dealt with that special topic by way of the Advisory Board's choice of Kyoichi Sawada of United Press International as worthy of the Pulitzer Prize "for his combat photography of the war in Vietnam during 1965."77 In 1967 the jurors at work (Benjamin C. Bradlee, Clifford E. Carpenter, Charles Lucey, Sterling Noel and William T. Shelton) introduced a novelty to the photography category by giving in detail the results of how each of them had voted in choosing the remaining six finalists. According to their report Jack R. Thornell of the Associated Press and his picture "Meredith Wounded" had received "three votes for first place and two for second." Horst Faas of the Associated Press earned only one vote for first place and three votes for third place for a photograph with the title "Watery Cover." Another picture by the same photographer called "Marine Helicopter Crash" received one vote each for second to fifth place. A series of photographs consisting of various motifs, titled "Attending the Wounded" by Henri Huet of the Associated Press, had to be content with one vote for fourth place, two votes for fifth place and one vote for sixth place. One entry by John J. Walther of the Miami Herald, who had submitted a "Labor Riot Series," ranked third with one juror as well as fourth and sixth respectively with two other members of the jury. Kyoichi Sawada of United Press International, winner of the previous year, made it on the jury's short-list with a picture called "Dusty Death," which was put in first position by one juror, whereas two other members of the jury regarded it as second-best and yet another juror only ranked it fourth.78 Thus illuminating the individual preferences in a way it had never done before, the jury report actually made it very clear that the one ranking first on the jury's list of six finalists was the odds-on favorite for the award. The Advisory Board joined in this majority decision by declaring Jack R. Thornell of the Associated Press as winner of the Pulitzer Prize "for his picture of the shooting of James Meredith in Mississippi by a roadside rifleman."79 In 1968, when the Pulitzer Prize for photography could reflect on 25 years of existence, another major change was about to take place. Time and again 76 John Hohenberg, The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 250. 77 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45. 78 Benjamin C. Bradlee/Clifford E. Carpenter/Charles Lucey/Sterling Noel/William T. Shelton, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1967), p. 1. 79 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45.
XLII
This news photographer has just won a Pulitzer Prize.
ROCCO MORABITO/Jacksonville Journal One of the best things that ever happened to the Jacksonville Journal was winning the Pulitzer Prize in spot news photography. And the man who won it for Florida's fastest growing P.M. newspaper (5,024 circulation gain in the last 12 months) was Rocco Morabito, a great guy and a fine photographer who started his career with the Journal as a 10-year-old newsboy in 1930. The Journal and Times-Union are proud of their papers and their people . . . especially Rocco.
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Source: Editor & Publisher (New York), Vol. 101/No. 21, May 25, 1968, p. 21.
XLIII
the jurors of the preceding years had pointed out the difficulties that arose because the given definition of the "photography" award did not sufficiently specify how to classify the content of the submitted pictures. As a sort of "general photography" award it was open to several, even contrasting ways of interpretation, although the award had at first been established as one for "news photography."80 To solve this problem at least to some degree, "in 1968 the Photography category was divided into two groups, 'Spot News Photography' and 'Feature Photography.'"81 The first of these two new prize categories was defined as follows: "For an outstanding example of spot news photography in black and white or color, which may consist of a photograph or photographs, a sequence or an album."82 The definition of the second award category had a certain resemblance to the first in stating verbatim: "For an outstanding example of feature photography in black and white or color, which may consist of a photograph or photographs, a sequence or an album."83 The newly-established categories now offered the possibility to submit all sorts of news photographs regardless of whether the entry was a picture in black and white or a color photograph. As this formal division of the prize in two separate awards might eventually lead to the problem to which one of these two categories the submitted photographs should be assigned to, yet another resolution was reached in order to make the process of classifying more practicable: From this year forth there was to be only one jury deciding on both the "spot news" as well as the "feature photography" award.84 When the first "double jury" for the two new categories (Arthur R. Bertelson, Vincent S. Jones, William Mcllwain, Joe Shuman and William M. Ware) came together in spring of 1968 to look through the submissions at hand, it faced an enormous amount of work. On the one hand it had to deal with all entries of both categories, which furthermore, as a result of the new prize definitions, could encompass several or even numerous photographs. On the other hand the jurors were now in the position to count as "spot news photographs" primarily those with highly topical content, whereas the term "feature photographs" could be applied to those cases, "where photos are not primarily dependent on the time value of a news event, as they are in spot news."85 The jury drew up a list of six finalists for each of the two prize 80 This focus can be found in quite a number of jury reports over the years from the inception of the award until the mid-sixties. 81 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 45. 82 Quoted from the Entry Form of the 1968 Pulitzer Prize Photography Categories. 83 Ibid. 84 Cf. ibid. 85 Sheryle and John Leekley, Moments - The Pulitzer Prize Photographs 1942-1982, New York 1982, p. 6.
XLIV categories. In the spot news section its first three recommendations were: 1. "Detroit Riot," portfolio of twenty pictures, by Ira Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press; 2. "The Kiss of Life," single photo and sequence, by Rocco Morabito of the Jacksonville Journal, 3. "Beyond Help," a sequence of four pictures, by Catherine Leroy of the Associated Press.66 The Advisory Board gave the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding spot news photography to Rocco Morabito of the Jacksonville Journal "for his photograph 'The Kiss of Life.'" 87 In the feature photography group the first three places on the jury's short-list were held by: 1. "Dreams of Better Times," by Toshio Sakai of United Press International, 2. "Losers, Weepers," by Patrick Callahan of Graphic Newspapers', 3. A portfolio of "Non-cliche" pictures, by Robert G. Lynn of the Cincinnati Enquirer.88 In the end the photographer ranking first, Toshio Sakai of United Press International, emerged as winner "for his Vietnam War combat photograph 'Dreams of Better Times.'" 89 The jury of 1969 was expanded to six members (Emmett Dedmon, Edward Freeman, Frank F. Orr, William I. Ray Jr., David Starr and William O. Walker). Its reports were much more detailed than the ones of the year before, as both statements gave more information on why the jurors regarded the names on their short-lists as prize-worthy contenders. For the spot news category they recommended the following five entries: "1. 'Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy,'... by Ron Bennett of United Press International... The jurors felt," the jury explained, "that Bennett, operating under chaotic conditions and great emotional pressure, still produced a historic record of a major event in American political history...; 2. 'Execution in Saigon,' by Edward T. Adams of the Associated Press. The entry described this as 'the picture that shook the world.' There is no doubt that its publication in American newspapers influenced the country's evaluation of our position and commitment in Vietnam; 3. 'Kicking and Beating of Hoffa Foe,' by Joseph F. Weidelman of the Detroit News. The jurors recognized that these pictures would not have been possible if the photographer had not... accepted the personal risk involved in the best traditions of American journalism; 4. 'Mrs. Martin Luther King and daughter, Bernice,' by Moneta Sleet at (the) funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King. This poignant photograph shows the strength of the woman, the comforting of the child and her dignity in the face of deep, personal grief. 86 Arthur R. Bertelson/Vincent S. Jones/William Mcllwain/Joe Shuman/William M. Ware, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1968), p. 1. 87 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46. 88 Arthur R. Bertelson/Vincent S. Jones/William Mcllwain/Joe Shuman/William M. Ware, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1968), p. 1. 89 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 47.
XLV Although the picture was taken by a magazine photographer," the report expounded, "he was acting as part of a press pool and his picture was widely distributed and printed in many American newspapers; 5. 'The Breath of Life,' by William H. Potter, a free-lance photographer (of)... the Boston Globe. These pictures of a white fireman attempting to breathe life into a black baby show eloquently the human equation which lies beneath every confrontation where life and death hang in the balance."90 The Advisory Board announced the person ranking second, Edward T. Adams of the Associated Press as winner of the Pulitzer Prize "for his photograph 'Saigon Execution.'"91 The same jurors also provided a list of six finalists for the second photography award of 1969. In the feature photography section they regarded "Locked Out," by Frank Johnston of United Press International as the most impressive submission, thus ranking it first. "This is a feature picture of a news event," the members of the jury pointed out, "it tells the story of a significant series of developments in American life... in a single picture." The second place on the jury's short-list was given to "'Mourning,' a series of photos of the funeral of Robert F. Kennedy, by Ulrike Welsch of the Boston Herald Traveler. These photos have a salon quality which capture the mood of a news event rather than merely recording it..." Ranking third was "'Biafra' - a series of portraits of starving Biafirans, by Henry Herr Gill of the Chicago Daily News..." followed by '"Pfc. Gibson Comes Home,' a series of pictures, by John Fetterman of the Louisville Courier-Journal and Times..." The fifth position was held by '"An Unchained Spirit,' by Roy Miller of United Press International..." With regard to the sixth finalist it was said: "Two pictures from the spot news folio of Fred W. McDarrah were transferred to the feature category. These pictures, published in the Village Voice, were considered by the judges to be among the outstanding feature pictures submitted."92 But the Advisory Board did not accept any of these six propositions and voted instead for a picture that ranked fourth on the jury's short-list in the spot news photo category, thus awarding the prize to Moneta Sleet Jr. of Ebony magazine, "for his photograph of Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow and child, taken at Dr. King's funeral."93 In the spot news photo category the jury of 1970 (Joseph P. Albright, Robert H. Giles, William E. Giles, J. Edward Murray and Eugene C. Patter90 Emmett Dedmon/Edward Freeman/Frank F. Orr/William I. Ray JrVDavid Starr/William O. Walker, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1969), pp. 1 f. 91 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46. 92 Emmett Dedmon/Edward Freeman/Frank F. Orr/William I. Ray JriDavid Starr/William O. Walker, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, undated (March 1969), pp. 1 f. 93 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 47.
XLVI son) chose five finalists, ranking them as follows: First place was given to "Campus Guns," by Steve Starr of the Associated Press. We "strongly recommend this picture for the Pulitzer Prize," the jurors wrote, "because the event marked one of the main turning points in a year of campus turmoil. This picture had major impact on later events because it marked the first time that campus protesters were openly armed." In second place there was "Chicago Events - 1969," by Paul Sequeira of the Chicago Daily News. The jury had selected three motifs of the whole entry as exemplary characterizing it with the following additional remark: "Although good pictures, none of these has, in the opinion of the jury, the major news value or picture impact that the First Place choice has." Ranking third was "Melee at Columbia," by John Duricka of the Associated Press. This entry was cited for its "dramatic impact from an important news event." The jurors then put in fourth place "War Tears," by Horst Faas of the Associated Press, which was described briefly as: "Dramatic picture of death without being too grisly." The last of the five suggestions concerned "Tap Day on the Campus," by Dave Kennedy of United Press International, and that submission offered a "good panorama of violent action at student demonstration."94 All in all no fewer than three of the five selected photographic endeavors depicted unrest at American universities. One of them, the entry by Steve Starr, was picked by the Advisory Board in the end, and so the photographer of the Associated Press won the award "for his news photo taken at Cornell University, 'Campus Guns.1"95 In the feature photography category the same jurors presented only four finalists. The top spot on the jury's list was given to "Migration to Misery," by Dallas Kinney of the Palm Beach Post. "This photographer," according to the jurors, "captured with extraordinary sensitivity the lives of Florida migrant laborers, as reflected in their faces and in their work." James Atherton of United Press International reached second place for a picture showing President Nixon and Premier Meir, among others, which had "impressed the judges as a remarkable example of spontaneity, a happy moment in high places." The jurors also took a liking to the color photograph "Basketball," by Duane Hall of the Chicago Sun-Times, and therefore it could be found on third place of the list. This picture depicted the popular game being played "in a vacant lot beside a sheared-off building, with unusual color patterns providing the look of a painting," the jury emphasized. As its fourth recommendation the jury offered "Multiple Choice," by Lynn Spence of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 94 Joseph P. Albright/Robert H. Giles/William E. Giles/J. Edward Murray/Eugene C. Patterson, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 5,1970, pp. 2 f. 95 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46.
XLVII
praised as "a rare photographic catch in sports."96 In an additional "special report" the jury referred to a problem it had encountered in both categories: The astronaut Neil Armstrong had submitted several pictures of "Man's First Visit to the Moon's Surface." Because the award had never been given to photographers working for the military, neither during World War II nor during the Korean or the Vietnam War, in this case, too, an important argument to reject Armstrong's entry was the fact that it in the end also was a "product of a government endeavor" and not a photo-journalistic achievement.97 The Advisory Board agreed and bestowed the feature photography award on the jury's favorite, Dallas Kinney of the Palm Beach Post, "for his portfolio of pictures of Florida migrant workers, 'Migration to Misery.'"98 In their spot news photography report, the six jurors of 1971 (Charles T. Alexander, James F. Hoge Jr., Louis Martin, Richard D. Smyser, Harry L. Sonneborn and Donald C. Wilder) came up with a list of three suggestions, ranking several pictures taken by John Paul Filo of the Valley Daily News & Daily Dispatch of Tarentum, Pa., first. The jury stressed that this photographic achievement represented "the unanimous first choice" as "the entry demonstrates the photographer's enterprise and professionalism." In second place there were photographs shot by Jim Kean and Roger Alan Bockrath of the Independent-Journal. Third on the jury's list was the work of Ron Moscati of the Buffalo Courier-Express, characterized as "a spectacularly successful job of photo coverage of a basic local news event."99 In the end, the award for outstanding spot news photography went to John Paul Filo of the Valley Daily News & Daily Dispatch of Tarentum, Pa., "for his pictorial coverage of the Kent State University tragedy on May 4, 1970."100 The jurors' comments on the three finalists in the feature photography section were even briefer, as the report did not give either the names of the photographers or the medium they worked for. It contained merely those ordinal numbers which the Pulitzer Prize office uses to mark all arriving entries. The jury's short-list thus only imparted the following rudimentary information: The jury "unanimously recommends, without stating a preference, entries No. 910 and No. 928... Both entries reflect consistent technical excellence, sensitivity and compassion... The photo feature on the... Schools for the Retarded is an excellent 96 Joseph P. Albright/Robert H. Giles/William E. Giles/J. Edward Murray/Eugene C. Patterson, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 5,1970, pp. 1 f. 97 J. Edward Murray, Special Report to the Advisory Committee, New York, March 5,1970, p. 1. 98 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 47. 99 Charles T. Alexander/James F. Hoge JrTLouis Martu/Richard D. Smyser/Harry L. Sonnebom/ Donald C. Wilder, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 4, 1971, p. 1. 100 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46.
XLVIII
example of coverage of a universal, but nevertheless local problem. In entry 928 the photographs capture big and little human experiences under the stress of war... The committee's third choice is entry No. 946..." 101 The award for best feature photography of 1971 in the end was given to Jack Dykinga of the Chicago Sun-Times "for his dramatic and sensitive photographs at the Lincoln and Dixon State Schools for the Retarded in Illinois," 102 obviously referring to "entry 910." Passing judgment on the achievements in spot news photography, the jury of 1972 (Thomas S. Gephardt, Meg Greenfield, Louis R. Guzzo, George H. Hall, Moses J. Newson and George R. Packard), which had been completely reconstituted, wrote in its report that the Pulitzer Prize should be bestowed on Horst Faas and Michel Laurent of the Associated Press for their series "Death in Dacca." It was "easily the first choice of the jury" and was characterized as follows: "The two execution pictures, among (them) five which were censored, and later published, had tremendous impact. The pictures reflected the deep hatreds and passions unleashed by the civil war" in East Pakistan. Gerry C. Wolter of the Cincinnati Enquirer reached second position on the jury's list for his photograph "That's My Dad!" It showed how "a son stands over the body of his slain father." Mel Finkelstein of the New York Daily News was the third-placed proposal of the six jurors; he had been selected for his picture "All in the Family of Man," which had captured the moment when "Delegates from Communist China are seated for the first time in the United Nations." Ranking fourth was Frank G. Hanes of Chicago Today for his entry "Why was Novice in Pace Car?" that documented how a "pace car plows into photographers' stand at Indianapolis speedway." Tony Spina of the Detroit Free Press also made it on the jury's short-list and was put in fifth place for his photograph "Busing." What it was about is made clear in the jury report which describes its content as "parents of schoolchildren in Pontiac, Michigan, protest busing of their children." The sixth and final recommendation offered Toichi Sakakibara of the Associated Press and his photograph "Students on a new Course;" it shows how "militant leftist Japanese students hurl firebombs in dispute over airport site." 103 The unanimous praise of the jurors for the two photographs of the entry ranking first also convinced the Advisory Board; it did not hesitate in announcing Horst Faas 101 Charles T. Alexander/James F. Hoge JrVLouis Martin/Richard D. Smyser/Harry L. Sonnebom/ Donald C. Wilder, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 4, 1971, p. 1. 102 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 47. 103 Thomas S. Gephardt/Meg Greenfield/Louis R. Guzzo/George H. Hall/Moses J. Newson/George R. Packard, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 9, 1972, p. 1.
XLIX and Michel Laurent of the Associated Press as winners of the Pulitzer Prize in the spot news photography category "for their picture series, 'Death in Dacca,"'104 thus honoring Horst Faas for the second time with the coveted award after his first win seven years earlier.105 After sifting through the entries of 1972 in the feature photography category, however, the same jurors had quite a few difficulties in agreeing on a clear favorite for that award, and this in turn led to a compromise in the end. Said compromise consisted of declaring a "first and second place tie," without deciding in favor for or against one of the two photographers in question. The jury report gave the finalists in an alphabetical ranking by name as follows: Eddie Adams of the Associated Press was represented by his three pictures "Marines Still Lean and Mean," "Pablo Casals Will Never Retire" as well as "Violence... Banishes Christmas in Belfast." "This is a photographer," the jurors wrote, "who gets movement and meaning into his work, and he frames his photographs with an artist's feel for proportion." The second contender on the list was Dave Kennerly of United Press International. His "Vietnam War Pictures" as well as motifs of the "Ali-Frazier Fight" were regarded by the jury as "a work of art;" concerning the photographer himself the six jurors expounded further on: "He captures the story and the drama of the desolation of war. He knows exactly when to snap the trigger." Pictures taken by Erwin Gebhard of the Milwaukee Journal with the collective title "Leukemia is Part of Our Life Now" were put in third place. "Although the layout did not do justice to the original photographs," the report added, "the jury felt that the pictures... told the story with eloquence." Ovie Carter of the Chicago Tribune was given fourth position for his photograph "Ghetto Birth," whereas John White of the Chicago Daily News ranked fifth for a picture with the title "The Blitz of Woodlawn."106 The Advisory Board was most impressed by the work of Dave Kennerly of United Press International and therefore made him winner of the Pulitzer Prize "for his dramatic photographs of the Vietnam War in 1971."107 The two reports of the photo-journalism jury of 1973 (John O. Emmerich Jr., John Hughes, Warren L. Lerude, Alan D. Moyer and Waldo Proffitt Jr.) do not contain more than sparse information about how and why the jurors selected the finalists presented to the Advisory Board. In the spot news photography category it was merely said, concerning the five recommenda104 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46.
105 Cf. ibid., p. 45.
106 Thomas S. Gephardt/Meg Greenfield/Louis R. Guzzo/George H. Hall/Moses J. Newson/George R. Packard, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 9,1972, p. 1. 107 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 48.
L tions: 1. "Terror of War," by Huynh Cong Ut "was the clear choice of the committee; it is an overpowering picture of the agony of war." 2. "Wallace Shooting," by Laurens Pierce; "the CBS cameraman's pictures" had "technical defects but the timeliness of the sequence was the overwhelming argument." 3. "Mother and Wife in Tears over Casket," by Henry Herr Gill. 4. "Fallen Buddy," by Koichiro Morita. 5. "Driver Pulled to Safety" and "Eerie Scene of Beach Murder," by Douglas C. Andrews.108 The Advisory Board consented to the jury's choice and announced Huynh Cong Ut of the Associated Press as winner "for his photograph The Terror of War,' depicting children in flight from a napalm bombing" in Vietnam.109 In the feature photography category the remarks about the topics and motifs of the favored entries were just as brief. With regard to the works ranking first the jury report did not even state a theme, only pleading for a "joint award" for Don Robinson and J. Walter Green. Although both photographers obviously worked for different news media, they had submitted "almost identical shots. Both were in position, both had the idea, and there was only split-second timing between execution." A picture with the title "Frog Jumping," by Walter Zeboski, "was our second choice on account of the photographer's ability to capture the spontaneity of the 'coach' urging her entrant on to victory." The jury had put in third place a photograph by Brian Lanker called "Childbirth." Fourth on its list was a "Crop Duster" series, by Ricardo Ferro, and as fifth and final suggestion the jurors offered "Indian Portfolio" by Max Winter.110 The Advisory Board was the most impressed by the achievement of Brian Lanker of the Topeka Capital-Journal, thus voting that the award should go to him "for his sequence on childbirth, as exemplified by his photographs 'Moment of Life.'" 111 After counting its votes, the jury of 1974 (Frank W. Barndollar, George R. Burg, Arthur C. Deck, John Q. Jordan and Howard Simons) also wound up with only six finalists in each of the two prize categories. In the first section, spot news photography, the jurors only gave the names of the photographers and the media they worked for, without stating the depicted motifs, and that is why the jury's short-list imparted merely the following information: 1. Edmund Jarecki of the Chicago Daily News; 2. Joseph Dennehy of the Boston Globe-, 3. Daniel J. Sheehan of the Boston Globe; 4. Ron Frehm of the Asso108 John O. Emmerich Jr./John Hughes/Wairen L. Lerude/Alan D. Moyer/Waldo Proffitt Jr., Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 8, 1973, pp. 1 f. 109 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46. 110 John O. Emmerich JrVJohn Hughes/Warren L. Lerude/Alan D. Moyer/Waldo Proffitt Jr., Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 8,1973, pp. 1 f. 111 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 48.
LI dated Press-, 5. Anthony K. Roberts of the Associated Press, as well as 6. Robert L. Coon of the Detroit News.112 But the jury's favorite did not find favor with the Advisory Board, which selected instead the person ranking fifth in this group of photographers, Anthony K. Roberts of the Associated Press, "for his picture series 'Fatal Hollywood Drama' in which an alleged kidnapper was killed."113 Concerning the feature photography section, in several cases the report did mention the topic of the respective entry, so that the Advisory Board received a few more details for this award category. The jury's short-list read as follows: 1. "Cat Woman," by Don Bierman of the Chicago Daily News; 2. "Man With Bottle," by John H. White of the Chicago Daily News; 3. Associated Press Package, including Slava Veder's picture; 4. Milwaukee Journal Package, by Erwin W. Gebhard; 5. "Wounded Knee Altar," by Max Winter of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald; 6. "Ballerina," by Arthur Ellis of the Washington Post.114 Once again the Advisory Board did not heed the advice of the jury, because it chose the photographer ranking third, Slava Veder of the Associated Press, "for his picture of the return of an American prisoner of war from captivity in North Vietnam."115 After discussing the contestants of 1975, the jurors (Ronald H. Einstoss, Albert E. Fitzpatrick, Evarts A. Graham Jr., Felix R. McKnight and John Szarkowski) presented their reports in both categories in a way it had been done once before - by using the registration number of the entries as a reference. In the spot news photography category the jury recommended, as can be read, "four excellent photographs covering widely different subjects. Each photograph received such strong support that we refrained from ranking: No. 812 - Photographed by Gerald H. Gay of the Seattle Times. It was an arresting photographic account of four exhausted firemen seen with graphic force and eloquent dramatic sense. No. 819 - Photographed by an anonymous photographer and submitted by the New York Times. It is a significant historical record of a moment of crisis in the life of a nation... No. 897 A - Photographed by Walter L. Kleine of the Dayton Journal Herald. This photograph graphically evokes the fear of a community attempting to flee the destructive force of a tornado. The photographer showed remarkable control and courage. No. 883 B - Photographed by Charles Harrity of the Associated Press. This photograph shows a new President of the United 112 Frank W. Barndollar/George R. Burg/Arthur C. Deck/John Q. Jordan/Howard Simons, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 7,1974, p. 1. 113 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46. 114 Frank W. Barndollar/George R. Burg/Arthur C. Deck/John Q. Jordan/Howard Simons, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 7,1974, p. 1. 115 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 48.
LII
States at the beginning of his tenure in an unusual, everyday setting familiar to most Americans. It has excellent and total composition."116 Although the jury had stressed at the very beginning of its report that the listing of the finalist did not imply a ranking, the Advisory Board decided in favor of the photographer on top of the list. Thus the Pulitzer spot news photography award was given to Gerald H. Gay of the Seattle Times "for his photograph of four exhausted firemen, "Lull in the Battle.'"117 In contrast to this, said jury had a clear favorite for the feature photography award, stating in its report: "No. 958 - Photographed by Matthew Lewis of the Washington Post. The jury was unanimously enthusiastic about the consistently high achievement of this photographer's work, which is characterized by photographic excellence, remarkable versatility, and high intelligence. The work has also been exceptionally well served by its display in the newspaper." After this commendation the report continues, "the jury also felt that other submissions of very high quality include No. 8015 - Photographed by Earl Seubert of the Minneapolis Tribune: A woman gleaning rice from the dirt of an unloading area in Cambodia. No. 931 - Photographed by Larry Spitzer of the Louisville Courier-Journal and Times: The aftermath of a tornado graphically shown by the reactions of victims. No. 923 - Photographed by Ovie Carter of the Chicago Tribune: For overall excellence in the presentation of hunger in Africa and India."118 Due to the unanimous praise from all members of the jury for their absolute favorite, the Advisory Board did not hesitate to support their reasoning and bestowed the Pulitzer feature photography award on Matthew Lewis of the Washington Post "for his photographs in color and black and white,"119 all of which depicted various aspects of "the Washington life-style."120 In 1976 the members of the jury (John R. Bott, Dallas C. Higbee, David Laventhol, Robert S. McCord and Ralph Otwell) put Stanley Forman of the Boston Herald American in first place in the spot news category as "a clear choice of the committee," while giving second place to the photo staff of the Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times. Ray Corey of the Kansas City Times was ranked third. 121 The jurors had certain problems, however, with the 116 Ronald H. Einstoss/Albert E. Fitzpatrick/Evaits A. Graham JrTFelix R. McKnight/John Szarkowski, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 7, 1975, p. 1. 117 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46. 118 Ronald H. Einstoss/Albert E. Fitzpatrick/Evarts A. Graham Jr./Felix R. McKnight/John Szarkowski, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 7, 1975, p. 1. 119 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 48. 120 Sheryle and John Leekley, Moments - The Pulitzer Prize Photographs, op. cit., p. 100. 121 John R. Bott/Dallas C. Higbee/David Laventhol/Robert S. McCord/Ralph Otwell, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 5, 1976, p. 1.
I III
entry on the second spot of the list, because the pictures in question originally had been submitted for the feature category. Nevertheless, they ended up for consideration in the spot news section, "since the photos essentially reported on a news event," namely "the Louisville busing situation." The jury also had difficulties with the fact that this entry represented "a staffs year-long efforts" and did not show only the output of one single photographer.122 Yet the Advisory Board was convinced that the photographic achievement of the person ranking first was that year's most outstanding effort and awarded the Pulitzer Prize to Stanley Forman of the Boston Herald American "for his sequence of photographs of a fire in Boston on July 22, 1975."123 The jury also drew up a short-list of three propositions in the feature category, suggesting: 1. Brian Lanker of the Eugene Register-Guard; 2. Gerald H. Gay of the Seattle Times', 3. Michael O'Brien of the Miami News. It also recommended Robert Modersohn of the Des Moines Register & Tribune for an "honorable mention."124 The Advisory Board did not follow any of these proposals, but rather put the entry ranking second in the spot news category back into the feature category and made it a Pulitzer Prize-winner there. This is how the feature photography award went to the Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times photographic staff "for a comprehensive pictorial report on busing in Louisville's schools."125 In 1977, the report of the spot news photography jury (John S. Driscoll, Luke Feck, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Ralph E. Looney and Celestine Sibley) once again contained more encompassing explanations as to why and how the respective finalists had been chosen. "Our first selection," it can be inferred from the document, "was two photographs by James Parcell of the Washington Post. The pictures show the near tragedy - a mother hoping to save her children, one already unconscious, from an apartment house fire. The handing down of the unconscious child to a rescuing fireman captures the hope and happiness of a tragedy averted. The combination of fear, heroics and ultimate happiness made this picture pair our first choice. Second place went to Neal Ulevich of the Associated Press for his Thailand photographs in October of 1976. The pictures brought home again the instability of Southeast Asia at a time when many were still trying to forget. The pictures showed the violence of a people enflamed and raging at their fellow man. The cruelty, the inhumanity, the need to remind ourselves of the world's 122 Ibid. 123 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. tit., p. 46. 124 John R. Bott/Dallas C. Higbee/David Laventhol/Robert S. McCord/Ralph Otwell, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New Yoric, March 5,1976, p. 1. 125 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. tit., p. 48.
LIV
realities made this our second selection. Our third choice," the report says further on, "was of photographer Stanley Forman's The Soiling of Old Glory' for the Boston Herald American. This picture seemed to sum up the differences in the continuing desegregation story in Boston... It was a photo that in one click of the shutter said much about Boston, much about America."126 This time the Advisory Board was not completely convinced and reached a compromise in the end that split the honor between two submissions and awarded the spot photography award to both Neal H. Ulevich of the Associated Press "for a series of photographs of disorder and brutality in the streets of Bangkok," as well as to Stanley Forman of the Boston Herald American, who had already won a Pulitzer Prize in the same category the year before, "for his photograph of a youth using the (American) flag as a lance in street disorders" in Boston.127 The members of the same jury also discussed in detail their criteria for selection in the feature photography category of 1977: "Robin Hood, a photographer for the Chattanooga News-Free Press," the jury report says, "easily captured the jury's first place votes with his picture of a legless Vietnam veteran hugging an infant at an Armed Forces Day parade. The pomp and ceremony was on the street marching by but the emotion and feeling of a man who had given more than most captured the essence of the day... Second place went to Ricardo J. Ferro, photographer from the St. Petersburg Times, for his portfolio of faces of the elderly... Sometimes there is desolation, sometimes an all-encompassing aloneness. In others there is the vitality of old bones and muscles at play. But most of all, there is an affection and a feeling for the elderly that the camera somehow magnifies. Third place went to Albert Coya, a photographer for the Miami Herald, for his picture 'Blind Kids See Lincoln.' ... The picture showed blind youngsters on a trip to Washington reaching up to touch, to stroke, to feel the face of Abraham Lincoln (at the Lincoln Memorial). The composition was handsome. The emotion the picture evoked caught the eye of every juror."128 In an additional paragraph the jurors made suggestions for the coming years, namely to put the demand on all photographers to send in their entries uniformly in the standard size of 11x14 inches and to limit the number of pictures to a maximum of ten photographs per entry.129 The Advisory Board voted for the contender ranking 126 John S. Driscoll/Luke Feck/Charlayne Hunter-Gault/Ralph E. Looney/Celestine Sibley, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 4, 1977, p. 1. 127 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46. 128 John S. Driscoll/Luke Feck/Charlayne Hunter-Gault/Ralph E. Looney/Celestine Sibley, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 4,1977, p. 1. 129 Ibid., p. 2.
LV first, Robin Hood of the Chattanooga News-Free Press, "for his photograph of a disabled veteran and his child at an Armed Forces Day parade."130 In the spot news photography category of 1978, the members of the jury (Peter C. Bunnell, Donald A. Pugnetti, Janet C. Sanford, Joseph R. L. Sterne and Melba A. Sweets) favored pictures of a hostage story from Indianapolis that included the following breathtaking moment: "Feeling he had been 'swindled' by a brokerage firm, a man... took one of the firm's employees... hostage, wiring his gun to the victim's neck in trigger position... Many photographers caught" that moment, "but none told more of the story in one picture than did Jim Schweiker of UPI... The photography committee's second choice reflects the other dimension of hostage taking, this one the commandeering of a Lufthansa jetliner" in October 1977, photographed by "Harry Koundajian of the Associated Press."131 Although the Advisory Board held the same opinion as its jury, that the most impressive pictures had been taken during hostage situations, it nevertheless declared another photographer as winner of the Pulitzer Prize, giving the coveted award to John H. Blair of United Press International "for a photograph of an Indianapolis broker being held hostage at gunpoint."132 In the feature photography category the short-list comprised three finalists, namely 1. the AP staff member J. Ross Baughman "for his vivid pictorial description of one of the year's major news stories, the... guerilla war in Rhodesia... Second choice in the feature category," the report continues, "went to John H. White of the Chicago Daily News for his dramatic sequence entitled 'Taking Jesus to Jail.' The sequence was the work of an obviously talented photographer at work... Third choice... went to Michael O'Brien for his sensitive and extensive series on the Culmer ghetto in Miami."133 Once again the Advisory Board accepted the suggestion at the top of the list, and so the award went to J. Ross Baughman of the Associated Press "for three photographs from guerilla areas in Rhodesia."134 In 1979 the jury (Gerald J. Crawford, Robert W. Duffy, Tom Eblen, Donald A. Pugnetti and Mort Pye) would again give definite reasons concerning why the three finalists had been selected. With regard to the entry ranking first on the jurors' list of spot news photographers, Tom Kelly of the Pottstown Mercury, the report explained among other things: "Kelly's pictures vividly illustrate pictorial judgement under extreme pressure. The 130 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cif.,p.48. 131 Peter C. Bunnell/Donald A. Pugnetti/Janet C. Sanford/Joseph R. L. Sterne/Melba A. Sweets, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 3,1978, pp. 1 f. 132 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46. 133 Peter C. Bunnell/Donald A. Pugnetti/Janet C. Sanford/Joseph R. L. Steme/Melba A. Sweets, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New Yoik, March 3,1978, p. 1. 134 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 48.
LVI photographer's intuitive sense captured virtually every significant moment of a highly-dangerous, quick-moving event... The pictures were taken at considerable personal risk and represent more than merely being in the right place at the right time. We recommend Kelly's photographs as our first choice; we submit that they meet the most rigorous standards of the Pulitzer Prize." Frank Johnston of the Washington Post held second place, because he "captured the horror of Jonestown and gave an extra dimension to the obvious. Some of the pictures in the portfolio were the most widely used of the Jonestown event, further reflecting the quality of his photographs and his professional judgement." Third on the jury's list was a series of pictures showing "Days of Rage in Philadelphia:" "Four photographers of the Philadelphia Inquirer," the report expounds, "combined to produce both shocking and provocative pictures of a shoot-out between police and a back-to-nature group named 'Move' at great personal risk. The photography of James Domke, Charles Isaacs, William Steinmetz and Russell Salmon recorded a remarkable event, graphically showing the death of a police officer and the capture and beating of the person believed responsible for the killing."135 The former Advisory Board which from now on was named the Pulitzer Prize Board confirmed the qualities of the jury's favorite entry by awarding the spot news photography Pulitzer Prize to Thomas J. Kelly III of the Pottstown Mercury from Pennsylvania "for a series called 'Tragedy on Sanatoga Road."'136 Said jury also came up with a list of three suggestions for the feature photography category of 1979, putting in first place the photo staff of a New England newspaper. "The Boston Herald American," it can be read in the report, "displayed resourceful use of photography and team effort in producing detailed and imaginative coverage of a disastrous storm. The photographers were faced with telling the story of the worst blizzard in the history of New England. They did so with wide ranging, dramatic photographs that accentuated the human element." Ranking second was Gordon N. Converse of the Christian Science Monitor, who "went to China to see if he could photograph the 'real China' as reflected by its people. His pictures are sensitive and perceptive selections of subjects that depict a warm, friendly and busy people. The quality of his photographs and his photographic techniques enhance the presentation." Third on the jury's short-list were two photographers of the Columbia Daily Tribune of Missouri who had submitted an 135 Gerald J. Crawford/Robeit W. Duffy/Tom Eblen/Donald A. Pugnetti/Mort Pye, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 6, 1979, p. 1. 136 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46.
LVII entry with the title "Youth Imprisoned." "Photographers Bill Marr and Nick Kelsh," the jurors stated, "not only capture the hopeless and lost feeling of reformatory inmates but also project the inadequacy of government and society in trying to deal with the problems of young criminals. This is a powerful showing of what it is like behind the walls of a prison. Attention should also be given to the relatively small size of the newspaper devoting considerable resources and effort to this type of coverage."137 Despite this finid praise the Pulitzer Board accepted the favorite of the jury and bestowed a group award on the staff photographers of the Boston Herald American "for photographic coverage of the blizzard of 1978."138 The work of the jury in 1980 led to remarkable results as its members (Joan Beck, Harold Blumenfeld, Robert W. Duffy, C. Thomas Hardin and Arthur Rothstein) were most impressed by the picture taken by an anonymous photographer of United Press International which was titled "Firing Squad in Iran." The second position was held by a picture showing an "Anti-Shah Demonstration in Beverly Hills," that had been submitted by Michael Haering of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.139 "Crazed Veteran Holds Churchful of Hostages" was the title of the entry ranking third, shot by Robert L. Gay of the Charleston Daily Mail from West Virginia. Explaining their decision the jurors wrote that, "Anonymous's photograph of the Iranian firing squad was clearly the most outstanding submission this year, and is probably the single most important photograph of 1979. It is not only a picture of enduring and memorable quality but also has the power to shape the viewer's feeling about a compelling international crisis. The photograph reads quickly; there is no doubt in the viewer's mind what is going on." The achievement of the person ranking second, Michael Haering, was praised as "representative of a news photographer's ability to respond immediately to a dramatic event. Haering was alert, sensitive to a violent situation." Robert L. Gay's series gave a wonderful example of how to "demonstrate a photographer's ability to follow through in a dangerous situation at no small risk to himself. The photographs are of fine quality and were made under the most difficult circumstances."140 The members of the Pulitzer Board decided in favor of the submission by the anonymous contestant who had been identified merely "as a photographer for United Press International," because it was 137 Gerald J. Crawford/Robert W. Duffy/Tom Eblen/Donald A. Pugnetti/Mort Pye, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 6,1979, p. 1. 138 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit, p. 48. 139 Joan Beck/Harold Blumenfeld/Robert W. Duffy/C. Thomas Hardin/Arthur Rothstein, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 4,1980, p. 1. 140 Ibid., p. 2.
LVIII feared that his prize-winning entry "Firing Squad in Iran," taken undercover, might lead to personal reprisals.141 When discussing the ranking of the chosen finalists in the feature photography section of 1980, the same jurors even went so far as to make explicit exactly how they had voted in each of the three cases. In their report it says among other things: "The five members of the jury were unanimous in their selection of Erwin H. Hagler's series on the Western Cowboy," published in the Dallas Times Herald. "The jurors felt that Hagler revealed in pictures the passing of an American institution, and revealed the story with great industry and sensitivity. Further, the jurors agreed that the photographs are representative of the highest technical and compositional skills of American photojournalism. Three of the five jurors," the report goes on, "recommended John J. Sunderland's 'Dying in a Hospice' entry" from the Denver Post "as the second choice of the jury. 'Hospice' was commended by jurors for its quiet and sensitive presentation of an emerging area of health care not familiar to a large segment of the population. Sunderland was praised for his technical skill and for the organization of his material. Two of the five jurors," it can be read in the report about the third finalist, "recommended David A. Kryszak's entry 'Children in Cambodia,"' published in the Detroit News, "as the second choice. Kryszak covered one of the century's most moving and important stories - the near genocide of an ancient people. He was praised for his photographic skill as well as for his compassionate treatment of an inordinately important story."142 As a result of the unanimous praise heaped on the person at the top of the list the Pulitzer Board saw no reason to overrule the jury's proposal and honored Erwin H. Hagler of the Dallas Times Herald with a Pulitzer Prize for most outstanding achievement in feature photography "for a series on the Western Cowboy."143 The jurors of 1981 (C. Thomas Hardin, John M. Lemmon, Ralph Otwell, Pete Prince and Arthur Rothstein) also presented definite reasons why they favored the three finalists on their short-list. In the spot news photography category Larry C. Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram was put in first place, because he "displayed great courage, enterprise and fortitude in entering a country torn by revolution to capture in vivid terms a story of violence and turmoil." Roger A. Werth of the Longview Daily News from the State of Washington and his endeavors "to portray the full story of the Mount St. Helen's volcano" made it to the second spot on the jury's list. AP-photographer 141 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 46. 142 Joan Beck/Harold Blumenfeld/Robert W. Duffy/C. Thomas Hardin/Arthur Rothstein, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 4,1980, p. 2. 143 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 48.
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LXVIII
forget. Vulnerability, strength, universality of the human spirit."178 The Pulitzer Board decided in favor of the submission mentioned last, and therefore declared Ron Olshwanger as winner of the Pulitzer Prize "for a picture published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of a firefighter giving mouth-tomouth resuscitation to a child pulled from a burning building."179 In the feature photography award group the three recommendations consisted of: Donna Bagby of the Dallas Times Herald, whose "entry reflects a timeless quality and the strong composition," and these are aspects that, according to the jury, should be regarded as especially relevant for feature photography. Manny Crisostomo of the Detroit Free Press, it was said, "has built, frame by frame, a moving and permanent record of a special place and time." Frederic Larson of the San Francisco Chronicle had sent in pictures of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that called to mind "the awfulness of the tragedy."180 The Board chose Manny Crisostomo of the Detroit Free Press and gave him the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding feature photography "for his series of photographs depicting student life at Southwestern High School in Detroit."181 In opposition to the rules laid down by the Pulitzer Board, the jury of 1990 (Manny Crisostomo, William German, David Medina, Marty Petty and Robert W. Ritter) presented four instead of three finalists in the spot news photography category. This group of four consisted of: Anonymous of the Associated Press who "captured the unbelievable emotion of the Iranian people attempting to deal with Khomeini's death." Jeff Widener of the Associated Press had documented with his entry "the defiant spirit of the Chinese resistance movement." David C. Turnley of the Detroit Free Press had managed to express in his photographs "the essence of... amazing world events" and was praised as a "tremendous example of 'seeing,' endurance, commitment to photojournalism." Also on the list was the photographic staff of the Oakland Tribune-, this recommendation was accompanied by the explanation that "the photographers were able to be in exactly the right places and were not afraid to get in close-to bring reaches... to the drama."182 What is only hinted at in this description was put more clearly when the Pulitzer Board announced that it would award the spot news photography prize to the photo staff of the Oakland Tribune "for photographs of the 178 Eddie Adams/Austin Long-Scott/Ron Martin/Marty Petty/David A. Zeeck, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, February 28, 1989, p. 1. 179 Columbia University (Ed.). The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 47. 180 Eddie Adams/Austin Long-Scott/Ron Martin/Marty Petty/David A. Zeeck, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, February 28, 1989, p. 1. 181 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 49. 182 Manny Crisostomo/William German/David Medina/Marty Petty/Robert W. Ritter, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 6,1990, pp. 1 f.
LXIX devastation caused by the Bay Area earthquake of October 17, 1989."183 Among the jury's three candidates in the feature photography section there were first of all pictures by the photographers of the Anchorage Daily News, followed by those of staff members of the Boston Globe as well as the entry by a photographer working for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. All three finalists were cited for their amazing competence,184 and yet the Board chose none of the above. Instead it declared David C. Turnley of the Detroit Free Press, featured in the jury report for the spot news photography category, as winner of the feature photography award "for photographs of the political uprisings in China and Eastern Europe."185 The reports of the jury of 1991 (Leroy F. Aarons, Benjamin J. Burns, Michel du Cille, Pamela J. Johnson and Robert G. McGruder) once again contained comments on the subjects of the finalists selected. In the spot news photography section it was remarked on the pictures submitted by Greg Marinovich of the Associated Press that they showed a "Violent Death in Soweto." The photo staff of the Detroit Free Press also documented a story on South Africa in visual terms, in this case "The Period after Nelson Mandela's Release" after more than twenty years in prison. A photo staff of Newsday also made it on the jury's short-list due to photographs depicting the "Drama of a Plane Crash on Long Island."186 In the end the spot news photography award went to Greg Marinovich of the Associated Press "for a series of photographs of supporters of South Africa's African National Congress brutally murdering a man they believed to be a Zulu spy."187 The three contestants in the feature photography category were: William Snyder of the Dallas Morning News with pictures capturing "The Fall of the Communist Dictator in Romania." The entry of Ronald Costes of the Philadelphia Inquirer depicted "A 60-Year-Old Returning to High School," and Jay Mather of the Sacramento Bee had submitted "beautiful pictures of (the) Yosemite National Park."188 William Snyder of the Dallas Morning News received the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding feature photography "for his photographs of ill and orphaned children living in subhuman conditions in Romania."189 183 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 47. 184 Manny Crisostomo/William German/David Medina/Marty Petty/Robert W. Ritter, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 6,1990, p. 1. 185 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 49. 186 Leroy F. Aarons/Benjamin J. Burns/Michel du Cille/Pamela J. Johnson/Robert G. McGruder, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 5,1991, p. 1. 187 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 47. 188 Leroy F. Aarons/Benjamin J. Bums/Michel du Cille/Pamela J. Johnson/Robert G. McGruder, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New Yoik, March 5,1991, p. 1. 189 Columbia University (Ed.), The Pulitzer Prizes, op. cit., p. 49.
LXX After giving due consideration to all submissions of 1992 the five members of the jury (Peter Bhatia, Margaret Downing, Michel du Cille, Mike Smith and Frank O. Sotomayor) drew up a list of three prize-worthy contenders for the spot news photography award, among them two entries by AP. One of them was by a team of photographers that had worked on a series about "The Plight of Albanian Refugees," whereas the other submission - by the Moscow staff of AP — had "chronicled the sudden end (of) the Soviet Union in a series of powerful, historic photos." Selected as third finalist was David C. Turnley of the Detroit Free Press with "Photos of the Gulf War."190 The Pulitzer Prize was given to the Moscow Associated Press staff "for photographs of the attempted coup in Russia and the subsequent collapse of the Communist regime."191 In the feature photography category the jurors presented the following three finalists: John Kaplan of the Monterey Herald who "vividly tells the story of seven individuals across the nation in an extraordinary series." Paul Kuroda of the Orange County Register had sent in an entry about "illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexican Border," whereas Charles W. (Bill) Snead of the Washington Post was chosen for his "portfolio from the Kurdish refugee camps."192 The Pulitzer Board decided in favor of John Kaplan of the Monterey Herald, although in its official announcement of the winner it did not cite the newspaper itself, but rather the newspaper group to which the Monterey Herald belonged. Thus when the prizes were declared the official version read: "Awarded to John Kaplan of Block Newspapers, Toledo, Ohio, for his photographs depicting the diverse lifestyles of seven 21-year-olds across the United States."193 Out of all the entries of 1993 the members of the photography jury (Eddie Adams, Max Desfor, Wanda S. Lloyd, Eric Newton and Mike Smith) selected three entries, two of which dealt with the same subject matter. Ken Geiger and William Snyder of the Dallas Morning News offered an "Olympics submission" that was "filled with emotion, elation, energy, disappointment, physical strength and split-second perfection." A photo staff of the Miami Herald had sent in a "consistently strong... portfolio" that "captured the sheer force of Hurrican Andrew." The same natural disaster was also the theme of the entry by the Palm Beach Post; that newspaper also had a photo staff document said hurricane. These pictures "showed excellent attention to every 190 Peter Bhatia/Margaret Downing/Michel du Cille/Mike Smith/Frank O. Sotomayor, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 4, 1992, p. 1. 191 Columbia University (Ed.), The 76th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., New York, April 7, 1992, p. 5. 192 Peter Bhatia/Margaret Downing/Michel du Cille/Mike Smith/Frank O. Sotomayor, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 4,1992, p. 1. 193 Columbia University (Ed.), The 76th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., op. cit., p. 5.
LXXI 194
aspect of the event." Nevertheless, the spot news photography award went to Ken Geiger and William Snyder of the Dallas Morning News "for their dramatic photographs of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona."195 Another doubling of subject matter could be found in the feature photography category, because in this case as well one topic was dealt with twice. Whereas an Associated Press staff "covered the hell out of the 1992 presidential campaign," a second AP photo team became one of the favorites for "outstanding, sustained coverage of Somalia's desperate plight." Finally, the jury report praised Yunghi Kim of the Boston Globe, because she had "artfully woven together the elements of famine, war and American intervention that characterized the plight of Somalia in 1992."196 The Pulitzer Board voted for the entry that was first on the jury's list, and so the photo team of AP received a Pulitzer Prize "for its portfolio of images drawn from the 1992 presidential campaign."197 In 1994, the decision on who should win the prestigious award once again proved to be a bit more complicated. The jury (Gilbert H. Bailon, Maggie Balough, Gary Fong, Timothy Gallagher and John Kaplan) decided for these three finalists in the spot news photography section: Kevin Carter of the New York Times, who had submitted a "painful picture of predator and prey," a "shocking, yet empathetic picture that haunts you." A photo staff of the Los Angeles Times was represented by an entry on the severe devastation caused by a conflagration in Southern California, whereas Paul Richard Watson of the New York Times had taken a "most powerful image out of Somalia."198 The spot news photography award finally was given to Paul Richard Watson although this photographer was assigned to another newspaper by the Pulitzer Board, because the honor was bestowed on "Paul Watson of the Toronto Star for his photograph, published in many American newspapers, of a U.S. soldier's body being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu by a mob of jeering Somalis."199 In the feature photography group Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe was cited as one of the contestants due to his ecologic series of pictures on "The Exhausted Earth." April Saul of the Philadelphia Inquirer was chosen because of her series of photographs called "American 194 Eddie Adams/Max Desfor/Wanda S. Lloyd/Eric Newton/Mike Smith, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 2, 1993, p. 1. 195 Columbia University (Ed.), The 77th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., New York, April 13,1993, p. 5. 196 Eddie Adams/Max Desfor/Wanda S. Lloyd/Eric Newton/Mike Smith, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 2,1993, p. 1. 197 Columbia University (Ed.), The 77th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., op. cit., p. 5. 198 Gilbert H. Bailon/Maggie Balough/Gary Fong/Timothy Gallagher/John Kaplan, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 1,1994, p. 1. 199 Columbia University (Ed.), The 78th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., New York, April 12,1994, p. 5.
LXXII Dreamers." An Associated Press staff had submitted a series on the "Conflict in the Middle East." 200 But, in the end, none of the three finalists made it, as the award went to Kevin Carter, who was on the short-list in the spot news photography category, winning the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding feature photography "for a picture, first published in the New York Times, of a starving Sudanese girl who collapsed on her way to a feeding center while a vulture waited nearby."201 There were absolutely no complications when the five jurors (Maggie Balough, Gary Fong, Neville Green, John Kaplan and Bob Mong) picked their recommendations for best spot news photography of 1995: Denis Farrell of the Associated Press documented the first free elections in South Africa after the end of Apartheid. The photographs of Carol Guzy of the Washington Post showed the "Horror of a Broken Society in Chaos" and were taken in Haiti. David Leeson of the Dallas Morning News was "praised and honored for helping lead" a Texas family to safety, as he himself had contributed to the rescue of this family from a flooded river, capturing every step of the rescue with his camera.202 The Pulitzer Board favored the work of Carol Guzy of the Washington Post, who was announced as winner of the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding spot news photography "for her series of photographs illustrating the crisis in Haiti and its aftermath."203 The first prize-worthy entry on the jury's short-list for feature photography was a series of photographs taken by several staff members of the Associated Press. With regard to this submission the jury stated: "We were struck by the consistent excellence... (of) these photographs... of the men, women and children of subsaharan Africa." Staff photographers of the Long Beach Press-Telegram had sent in pictures "of the everyday lives of the community's residents" living in their hometown, that were so excellent that they also were included on the jury's list of finalists. The third proposal on that list was Carl Bower of the Newhouse News Service, selected for his photographs of a woman and her "battle with breast cancer."204 The members of the Board decided to give the feature photography Pulitzer Prize to the Associated Press staff "for its portfolio of photographs chronicling the horror and devastation in Rwanda."205 200 Gilbert H. Bailon/Maggie Balough/Gary Fong/Timothy Gallagher/John Kaplan, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 1,1994, p. 1. 201 Columbia University (Ed.), The 78th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., op. cit., p. 5. 202 Maggie Balough/Gary Fong/Neville Green/John Kaplan/Bob Mong, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 7, 1995, pp. 1 ff. 203 Columbia University (Ed.), The 79th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., New York, April 18,1995, p. 6. 204 Maggie Balough/Gary Fong/Neville Green/John Kaplan/Bob Mong, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 7,1995, pp. 1 ff. 205 Columbia University (Ed.), The 79th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., op. cit., p. 6.
LXXIII
The jury report of 1996 must be counted as a peculiarity in the history of the spot news photography category. The reason behind this was that all three recommendations by the jurors (Marty Claus, Frank Denton, Carol Guzy, Tim J. McGuire and Wickliffe R. Powell) were submissions by the Associated Press. At the top of the list was AP-photographer Jerome Delay, whose photographs of Israel and Bosnia had to be considered "incredibly strong image(s)" according to the jury. Another photographer of Associated Press, Charles Porter IV, was praised for his "haunting photos of the aftermath of the terrorist bombing of Oklahoma City's federal building." Third on the jury's list was an AP photo staff that impressed the jurors with photographs depicting "the horror of war through the faces of the people of war-torn Chechnya."206 The Pulitzer Board voted in favor of the second name on the list, thus honoring Charles Porter IV of the Associated Press for his pictures "showing a one-year-old victim handed to and then cradled by a local fireman" after the Oklahoma City bombing.207 In the feature photography group, however, the three finalists did not work for the same media corporation. One of them was Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe. He had sent in "photos documenting kids having kids." David Turnley of the Detroit Free Press and his photographs of "The Civil War in Bosnia" also made it onto the jury's short-list. Furthermore, the jurors were completely overwhelmed by the work of Stephanie Welsh of the Newhouse News Service, because, as they put it, "the raw power of this disturbing yet provocative set of photographs is almost indescribable."208 What exactly was meant with this description is made more explicit by the official announcement of the winning entry that explained why the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding feature photography was given to Stephanie Welsh of the Newhouse News Service, as she received the coveted award "for her shocking sequence of photos... of a female circumcision rite in Kenya."209 In 1997, the discussions of the jurors (Karen Baker, Hal Buell, Craig Klugman, Kim Komenich and Narda Zacchino) also led to rather unusual results. In the spot news photography section they offered the following three finalists: Corinne Dufka of Reuters was represented by a photograph depicting a "Soldier Executing a Prisoner on the Streets of Monrovia." An entry by Annie Wells of the Press Democrat from Santa Rosa, California, was 206 Marty Claus/Frank Denton/Carol Guzy/Tim J. McGuire/Wickliffe R. Powell, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 5,1996, pp. 1 ff. 207 Columbia University (Ed.), H e 80th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., New York, April 9, 1996, p. 6. 208 Marty Claus/Frank Denton/Carol Guzy/Tim J. McGuire/Wickliffe R. Powell, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New York, March 5,1996, pp. 1 ff. 209 Columbia University (Ed.), The 80th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., op. cit., p. 6.
LXXIV described by the jury as a "picture of a daring rescue from rain-swollen flood waters... It is... of high life-and-death drama." The third name on the jury's list of finalists was Alexander Zemlianichenko of the Associated Press, who had captured the Russian President Boris Yeltsin "standing on a stage in Rostov with rock musicians and dancers."210 The Board picked one of the two female contestants and declared Annie Wells of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat winner of the Pulitzer Prize "for her dramatic photograph of a local firefighter rescuing a teenager from raging floodwaters."211 For the feature photography award the jury suggested: Jeffrey L. Brown of the Joliet Herald News with pictures of "the Underground Travels of a Mexican Immigrant to the United States." Jon Krai of the Miami Herald had given his series the title "Hell on Earth" as it documented the conditions of prisons in Venezuela. Another series of photographs showing "An Individual's Fight against Cancer" by Michele McDonald of the Boston Globe was the third and final proposition in the feature photography category.212 But the Pulitzer Board accepted none of the above and chose one of the finalists in the spot news photography category instead, thus bestowing the Pulitzer Prize on Alexander Zemlianichenko of the Associated Press, "for his photograph of Russian President Boris Yeltsin dancing at a rock concert during his campaign for re-election."213 The jury of 1998 (Toren Beasley, George Benge, Hal Buell, Andrew F. Costello Jr. and Kim Komenich) had no difficulties to reach a consent about the three finalists in the spot news photography section. Ranking their suggestions alphabetically, the jurors offered the following contestants: JeanMarc Bouju of the Associated Press, who made a "chilling sequence of seven photos showing an on-the-spot execution of a man in a Kinshasa Alley." The Grand Forks Herald photo staff was deemed prize-worthy for its impressive photographs of "The Great Flood of 1997" in North Dakota. The last name on the list was that of Martha Rial of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, because she "documents how peoples from Rwanda and Burundi live, and what they must overcome in the process of building new lives."214 The Pulitzer Board had no doubts that the award should go to Martha Rial of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "for her life-affirming portraits of survivors of the conflicts in 210 Karen Baker/Hal Buell/Craig Klugman/Kim Komenich/Narda Zacchino, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New York, March 5, 1997, pp. 1 ff. 211 Columbia University (Ed.), The 81th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., New York, April 7, 1997, p. 5. 212 Karen Baker/Hal Buell/Craig Klugman/Kim Komenich/Narda Zacchino, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography Jury, New Yoric, March 5, 1997, pp. 1 ff. 213 Columbia University (Ed.), The 81th annual Pulitzer Prizes..., op. cit., p. 6. 214 Toren Beasley/George Benge/Hal Buell/Andrew F. Costello Jr./Kim Komenich, Report of the Pulitzer Prize Spot News Photography Jury, New Yoik, March 8,1998, pp. 1 ff.
LXXV
JOURNALISM'S HIGHEST HONOR» The Times staff has won a 1998 Pulitzer Prize m the breaking news category for coverage of the North Hollywood bank shootout on February 28,
1997.
Times photographer Clarence Williams has won a 1998 Pulitzer Prize in the feature photography category for his riveting photos that ran in last November's "Orphcms of Addiction" series.
E
v e r y o n e at t h e Los A n g e l e s T i m e s is very proud t o
W h e n o u r t e a m o f reporters, photographers and
h a v e w o n n o t just o n e , b u t two, Pulitzer Prizes t h i s
editors gave f r o n t - l i n e reporting o n last year's N o r t h
year. T h e Pulitzer is journalism's highest h o n o r , a n d
Hollywood s h o o t o u t , they brought c o n t e x t and m e a n i n g
T h e T i m e s has n o w earned 2 2 o f t h e m . B u t we would like t o t a k e t h i s opportunity t o r e f l e c t o n t h e real m e a n i n g b e h i n d t h e q u a l i t y j o u r n a l i s m we publish every day in T h e T i m e s . W h i l e winning Pulitzer Prizes is great in itself, produc-
to a frightening e v e n t . A n d t h e n they followed u p with h a r d - h i t t i n g reports o n the dangers posed by so m a n y assault rifles in t h e h a n d s o f criminals. C o n n e c t i n g with our readers - with their hearts as well as their m i n d s - is what we set out t o do every day a t
ing world-class journalism is really all about serving o u r
T h e T i m e s . T h r o u g h h o n e s t and c o m p e l l i n g journalism
readers.
such as this Pulitzer Prize-winning material, we w a n t to
W h e n photographer C l a r e n c e Williams shot h i s riveting photos that ran in last November's " O r p h a n s o f A d d i c t i o n " series, he stunningly documented a bleak reality
help readers b e t t e r understand our world and, by doing so, m a k e a difference in our community. S o , o n t h e o c c a s i o n of winning these two prestigious
that was previously invisible to m a n y of us. H e was shining
awards, we t h a n k o u r readers for making T h e T i m e s their
a light in dark places, something t h a t the best journalists
paper, and for inspiring us t o always give o u r best.
simply must do. A n d by shining t h a t light, h e and reporter S o n i a Nazario helped prompt a sweeping review o f a g e n c i e s that are entrusted with protecting young children. T h e y also helped bring changes to the families they profiled.
Mark H . Willes
M i c h a e l Parks
Publisher
Editor
G os Angeles Situes Get the sto r y. G e t the Times;
Source: Editor