Iconic Historical Photographs (2)

~ beetleypete

The first manned aeroplane flight by the Wright Brothers. North Carolina, 1903.

A destitute migrant mother during the Great Depression. America, 1930s.

Steel erectors having lunch at the top of a skyscraper. New York, 1932.

Martin Luther King Jnr makes his ‘I have a dream’ speech. Washington DC, 1963.

A Bhuddist monk burns himself to death to protest religious intolerance. Vietnam, 1963.

The first Moon landing. 1969.

A lone protester confronts tanks during the Tianenmen Square protests. Beijing, 1989.

The Twin Towers burning on 9/11. New York City, 2001.

47 thoughts on “Iconic Historical Photographs (2)”

    1. The migrant photos did bring a lot of attention to human suffering in the depression, Shaily. And MLK’s speech helped to eventually change lives for black people in America.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. Thanks for the link, Olga. I do remember the Migrant Mother telling her own side of the story, but the photo did a good job exposing the hardships to the rest of the world.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  7. HI Pete, It is awful how worry and poverty ages people. That mother looks a lot older than her years, of that I am certain. The steel erectors make me feel dizzy and sick. The others are very well known, and some are heart breaking.

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  9. I visited Kitty Hawk and stood atop the sand dune that was used for the takeoff. I didn’t know about the man in New Zealand, so thanks for the info. My grandparents were part of the Okie migration from Texas to California in the 30s. They told stories that broke my heart. John Steinbeck captured it in The Grapes of Wrath.

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      1. Pete, I read the book at the age of 10, and then revisited it at 14. I recently purchased it again since my original book is long gone. It awaits my read. The film is great and does capture the times.

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  10. (1) “Don’t just stand there, Wilbur. Go build me a flight control tower!”
    (2) “Now where did I leave my bottle of Prozac?”
    (3) “Yeah, the Yankees game was sold out. So I’m glad we found us some good high seats so we can watch. But where did that hot dog vendor get off to?”
    (4) “I have a dream: a world in which no one is woke!”
    (5) “The doctor told me this was a sure-fire way to get rid of monkeypox!”
    (6) “I love hiking in Nevada at night. But this hiking gear is a bit too much, don’t you think?”
    (7) “Thanks for not running the red light. But I knew you’d stop. In this country, if you don’t respect the color red, you die!”
    (8) “Honey, look at the towers!” / “I’m trying! But that arrow keeps diverting my attention!”

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    1. Years ago, I saw a series of those photos, including men carrying girders as they walked on girders, and others catching hot rivets in buckets. If they were staged, it was a long time before Photoshop! 🙂
      Check out this video footage taken at the time, chuq. I am sure it is genuine.

      Best wishes, Pete.

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  15. Pete, I had a chance to visit where the Wright Brothers took off several years ago. Really neat to see where that took place. As for those skyscraper workers, I could never do that. I do remember watching the tv when we walked on the moon. Figured by now some of us would be living there…

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    1. Thanks, Bruce. I am something of a Moon ‘sceptic’. I was watching it on TV, turned to my parents and said, “Is that it? Looks like a fim set”. 53 years later, I am still not convinced they were actually on the Moon. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  16. Those guys taking a break on the skyscraper always makes my toes curl. They used to use Native Americans for that sort of thing because they have no fear of heights. Good collection of pictures and some very sad events.

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  17. Love these photos. I really like the steel erectors but that photo also makes me feel a bit nauseous, the fear of them falling off. I wonder did anyone of them worry about that. They look so care free.

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    1. Thanks, Wrookie. I have no figures, but I am sure there must have been accidents as there was no safety equipment whatsoever. Many of the workers were Native American descendants, who famously have no fear of heights.
      (I just found your comment in Spam. No idea why.)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  20. You nailed all these treasures Pete.
    I have been trying to find if the skyscraper pic is for real. Can anyone here shed light?
    The Wright Bros being the first to fly is a huge bone of contention to me and many Kiwis. Look up Richard Pearce. There is no doubt he flew first but in those days in rural NZ, letters took months by ship and Richard was unable to communicate his feats. Whilst a local researcher Errol Martyn has refuted the claims, his research is biased and very flawed. Other researchers like me are more convinced. Richard came from near where I was brought up and I pass by that spot often. Sadly he died alone and all his paperwork got biffed, but there were numerous affidavits at the time of recollections. I have an uncle in the grave nearby Richard’s and I clean it when I’m out there.

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    1. I had never heard about Richard, Gavin. Thanks for adding that information. I am sure the men on the skscrapers is real. It was part of a famous series showing men working high on the steel with no safety equipment at all.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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