Alfred Eisenstaedt (December 6, 1898 – August 24, 1995) was a German-born American photographer and photojournalist. He is best known for his photograph of the V-J Day celebration “The Kiss” (the last picture shown), and for his candid photographs frequently made using a 35mm Leica camera.
In this May 27, 1937, military biplanes fly between the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge as pedestrians walk across the span during opening ceremonies in San Francisco. The bridge was heralded as an engineering marvel when it opened in 1937.
Pablo Picasso was a world-reknown painter, sculptor and contemporary artist – one of the most influential figures of the art world in the 20th century, and founder of the cubist movement. His art ranges from the simplistic to the spectacular, and his peculiar view of the world is captured in this fascinating LIFE magazine series of 1949, “Pablo Picasso Draws with Light.”
Emerging from a void, Andrew G. Hobbs‘ hallowed portrait of an astronaut is striking. Looking over the many space suits that we have put up here over time, most are the Luke Skywalker types in their white, pillowy Apollo suits that embody the epitome of the hero archetype – full of wholesome goodness and hope. Hobbs’ astronaut falls on the dark side. The helmet frames no visible human inside as the suit weighs heavy on the shoulders of a form that it may house. The multitude of fabric, buckles, hoses and claps that decorate the suit are suitably highlighted in his grey scale portrait against the dark emptiness of space.