Autographs from the kissing sailor on V-J Day, August 14, 1945, signify a special moment in Times Square, New York City. President Harry Truman announced the end of the war and just moments later, Alfred Eisenstaedt and Victor Jorgenson took their famous photographs of a sailor passionately kissing a nurse in a white uniform. Their embracing pose represented the celebratory mood of America.
Eisenstaedt took the photograph at the intersection where Broadway and Seventh Avenue converge, while facing the famous building where the traditional New Year’s ball rises to announce the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. Using his Leica camera, Eisenstaedt took the photograph because of the stark contrast between the sailor’s dark uniform and the nurses white outfit. The photograph became a fabulous success and Eisenstaedt’s eternal legacy.
Equally famous is a photograph of the same scene taken by U.S. Navy journalist Victor Jorgensen. Unlike the Eisenstaedt photograph that is copyright protected, the photograph taken by Jorgensen is in the public domain since it was taken by a federal government employee while on an official assignment.
The identity of the nurse in the picture is believed to be Los Angeles resident Edith Shain, although other women have claimed to be the nurse in the famous pose. Eleven men have laid claim to be the sailor in that famous Times Square pose. The two primary contenders are Carl Muscarello and Glenn E. McDuffie.
Carl Muscarello is a retired officer from the New York Police Department who claims that he kissed numerous women in Times Square on that joyous day. However, Edith Shain is not certain he was the one that kissed her. Carl Muscarello’s autograph has appeared on numerous photographs of the scene in Times Square and occasionally on a check.
The other top contender for the kissing sailor is Glenn Edward McDuffie. McDuffie says that he cocked his wrist at the time of the photograph to give the photographer a better view of the nurse he kissed. McDuffie corroborated his claim as the kissing sailor when he identified two other sailors in the famous scene. Glenn McDuffie’s autographs are scarce, but they have appeared on album pages and cancelled checks.
Autographs from the the famous kissing sailor and his nurse taken at Times Square on V-J Day are a touching reminder of America’s celebratory mood that marked the end of the war.
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