In the internet age, people can share amazing images with the rest of the world at the press of a button. Also, thanks to technological advance, old photos which have been severely damaged can sometimes be salvaged. This means that we can gaze into the past even more clearly than before, and often learn a little more about the backstory behind the powerful images we find on the internet.
Please find below, a collection of truly powerful images, which are not only interesting and important in their own right, but are made more so by knowing their context.
The Execution Of Lepa Radić
Lepa Radić was a Bosnian Serb member of the Yugoslav Partisans who was arrested for shooting at German soldiers during WWII. Before they executed her, they said that they would spare her if she revealed her comrades. Radić responded by saying that she was not a traitor and that her comrades would reveal themselves when they avenged her death. She was 17 at the time.
“Penguins on an iceberg that’s been flipped upside down, known as a blue iceberg.”
Yes, this may look like an image that has yet to finish rendering, but that is actually a real blue iceberg, with a little collection of penguins residing upon it. It makes you wonder how they came up with the name.
Mr. Rogers & Officer Clemmons
This was taken in 1969. African American citizens were forbidden to swim in a pool with white people, and so in protest of this, Mr. Rogers invited Officer Clemmons onto this show to join him cooling his feet in a pool. Truly, this is a fantastically powerful image.
This Man And His Son
The man wrote of the picture: “Last year I posted about being 9 years sober and having custody of my son. Well, today we share 10 years sober and my boy is 10 years old. There is hope for a drug-addicted low life like me.”
This shows that you can always turn your life around!
This Amazon Tribe Celebrating
This photo was taken after this tribe won a lawsuit, defeating a big oil company and preventing them from destroying millions of acres of forest.
Vietnam Protest
This photo was taken in 1970, and shows Vietnam Veterans protesting the Vietnam war, with the slogan, “We won’t fight another rich man’s war!!!” A powerful slogan that can still resonate today.
Soldier Feeding Kitten in Korea
The description reads, “Marine Sgt. Frank Praytor feeding a two-week-old kitten he named ‘Miss Hap’ using a medicine dropper after its mother was killed by a mortar barrage near Bunker Hill. Korea, 18th of October 1952.”
Picture Captures Photographer’s Assassin
Reynaldo Dagsa, a councillor in Manila in the Philippines, was the man taking the photo of his family on New Years Day and was killed in front of them moments after this image was taken. The man in the image was arrested after this image was taken to the police by the deceased politician’s family, according to the Daily Mail .
Honk Kong Protestors Holding Up A Message
It’s hard to believe that these sort of images are still being released, as Honk Kong protestors continue to fight for what is right.
Protestors In Chile
This stark image was taken in Chile, as the protests which have dominated the country over the last month continue on. The police have now been publicly condemned by the country’s president for using excessive force against protestors.
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This 16-Year-Old German Anti-Aircraft Gunner Crying After Being Captured By The British
Hans-Georg Henke joined the Communist party and went to live in Finsterwalde in East Germany after the war. He lived to the age of 69 and died on 09 Oct 1997.
Hong Kong Pride Celebrations
This is a decidedly more positive photo to have come out of Hong Kong recently. The country still held its pride celebrations, a celebration which is so important in today’s society!
Jewish Prisoners Being Rescued
This was taken in April, 1945, by Major Clarence Benjamin after allied forces intercepted a prisoner train. This is the moment the train full of Jewish prisoners learned that the train would not be heading to a Concentration Camp and that they had been liberated.
A Serbian Solider And His Father
This photo was taken in 1914/1915, and shows a Serbian soldier with his father after his father came to the front line to see his son near Belgrade.
Post-Birth Joy
This is a slightly more positive post-birth photo. The person who uploaded this explained that the reason why the mother is laughing hysterically is that her husband had fainted during the birthing procedure. A wonderfully positive image in which you can feel the moment.
A Couple’s Final Night Together
This photo was taken by the couple’s grandchild. They wrote that the pair had been married for 52 years, and that their grandmother was unlikely to survive the night, but their grandfather kept holding her hand. A photo which perfectly captures pure love.
“Muhammad Ali convincing a suicidal Vietnam War Veteran to come down off the ledge, 1981”
The New York Times wrote a piece about this image, explaining , “The ledge story wasn’t quite as simple as it appeared. The police reported that Joe was ‘badly disturbed,’ and later in the week, The Los Angeles Times published a follow-up: Joe, it turned out, was only 21, too young to have served in Vietnam.”
“Iraqi protesters bring out lions to counter police dogs”
The idea that people would be pushed to bring out lions is a mindset which most of us will be unable to imagine!
A Father Holds His New Baby After Tragedy
This image was taken by the baby’s mother and the man’s wife. She wrote, “A powerful photo I took of my husband holding our newborn. He had driven 8 hours to be there for her birth after witnessing his dad lose his battle with cancer only 48 hours earlier. So much emotion conveyed in his posture here.”
“HK protester’s helmet”
Imagine feeling like you had to write that on a helmet, then heading out to face an uncertain future. It really puts their mindset into perspective.
