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Eddie Adams Day: Celebrating the photojournalist

The Pennsylvania home town of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Eddie Adams has declared June 9 to be Eddie Adams Day. Here are some of the shots that made him famous.

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Eddie Adams was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for this photograph in 1969. While covering the Vietnam War, Adams saw a prisoner, a Viet Cong lieutenant, escorted through the streets of Saigon. South Vietnamese Brig. Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan, the chief of the national police, shot him in the head “and walked by us and said, ‘They killed many of my men and many of our people.’ ” The prisoner had just killed a South Vietnamese colonel, his wife and their six children. The American antiwar movement adopted the photo as a symbol of the excesses of the war. But for the rest of his life, Adams felt it was misunderstood. “If you’re this man, this general, and you just caught this guy after he killed some of your people . . . how do you know you wouldn’t have pulled that trigger yourself?”

Eddie Adams / AP

Turkish jets fly over the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, circa 1980s, for a Time magazine cover.

Turkish jets fly over the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, circa 1980s, for a Time magazine cover.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

Eddie Adams shot this photo within moments of arriving on the Suez Canal in 1973. 'I spotted this tired Israeli soldier resting on the East bank. I became excited, like a child with a new toy, as I cranked off three frames before the shooting started again. I knew this was it. The previous days of getting shot at and shelled were not important now. This was the picture. I could show the world the war with only one tired soldier.' It was published in Time Magazine on Nov. 6, 1973.

Eddie Adams shot this photo within moments of arriving on the Suez Canal in 1973. "I spotted this tired Israeli soldier resting on the East bank. I became excited, like a child with a new toy, as I cranked off three frames before the shooting started again. I knew this was it. The previous days of getting shot at and shelled were not important now. This was the picture. I could show the world the war with only one tired soldier." It was published in Time Magazine on Nov. 6, 1973.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

As a special correspondent for Associated Press, Eddie Adams had carte blanche to choose his assignments anywhere in the world. In 1981, he was in Bihar, India, and photographed these two members of the untouchable caste.

As a special correspondent for Associated Press, Eddie Adams had carte blanche to choose his assignments anywhere in the world. In 1981, he was in Bihar, India, and photographed these two members of the untouchable caste.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

A member of the Chinese Army Honor Guard breaks rank during President Gerald Ford’s visit to Beijing in December 1975

A member of the Chinese Army Honor Guard breaks rank during President Gerald Ford’s visit to Beijing in December 1975

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

At president John F. Kennedy’s funeral, his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, holds the flag that draped his coffin while speaking with Cardinal O’Connor.

At president John F. Kennedy’s funeral, his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, holds the flag that draped his coffin while speaking with Cardinal O’Connor.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

In 1991, Clint Eastwood was starring in and directing “The Unforgiven.” Eddie Adams was photographing him between takes and told him he needed to make some Polaroid proofs. Eastwood responded that Ansel Adams didn’t take Polaroids. Edward Weston didn’t take Polaroids. You either do it with the real camera or not at all. So Adams shot three frames, and this is one of them.

In 1991, Clint Eastwood was starring in and directing “The Unforgiven.” Eddie Adams was photographing him between takes and told him he needed to make some Polaroid proofs. Eastwood responded that Ansel Adams didn’t take Polaroids. Edward Weston didn’t take Polaroids. You either do it with the real camera or not at all. So Adams shot three frames, and this is one of them.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

About traveling to Cuba in 1984 to photograph President Fidel Castro for a Parade magazine cover, Eddie Adams said, “He kept me waiting in a hotel room for two weeks. One day, I just got up and told his aides, ‘[Expletive] him, I don’t need this [expletive]. Get me on a plane, I’m leaving.’ “ A few days later, Adams returned to Havana at Castro’s request. “This time, he met me immediately. He put his arm around my shoulder and said, ‘My dear friend, I hear you have a horrible temper,’ and laughed and laughed. That was Castro. He told jokes through the whole shooting.”

About traveling to Cuba in 1984 to photograph President Fidel Castro for a Parade magazine cover, Eddie Adams said, “He kept me waiting in a hotel room for two weeks. One day, I just got up and told his aides, ‘[Expletive] him, I don’t need this [expletive]. Get me on a plane, I’m leaving.’ “ A few days later, Adams returned to Havana at Castro’s request. “This time, he met me immediately. He put his arm around my shoulder and said, ‘My dear friend, I hear you have a horrible temper,’ and laughed and laughed. That was Castro. He told jokes through the whole shooting.”

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

Boat of no smiles, Gulf of Siam, 1977. A Vietnamese woman uses a blanket to shelter herself and her child from the sun aboard a refugee boat in November 1977. They are among 50 refugees aboard a 30-foot fishing boat in the Gulf of Siam seeking freedom in Thailand. Adams named this photo “no smiles” because it was the first time in his life that nobody smiled while he took their pictures, not even the children. This photo paved the way for some 200,000 Vietnamese immigrants to be admitted to the United States.

Boat of no smiles, Gulf of Siam, 1977. A Vietnamese woman uses a blanket to shelter herself and her child from the sun aboard a refugee boat in November 1977. They are among 50 refugees aboard a 30-foot fishing boat in the Gulf of Siam seeking freedom in Thailand. Adams named this photo “no smiles” because it was the first time in his life that nobody smiled while he took their pictures, not even the children. This photo paved the way for some 200,000 Vietnamese immigrants to be admitted to the United States.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

As a special correspondent at Associated Press, Eddie Adams photographed Mother Teresa and also wrote about her home of the Dying Destitute in Kolkata, India, in April 1979. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize later that year.

As a special correspondent at Associated Press, Eddie Adams photographed Mother Teresa and also wrote about her home of the Dying Destitute in Kolkata, India, in April 1979. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize later that year.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

John Streets, a Vietnam War veteran, worked in a four-foot shaft, on his hands and knees, digging coal in Deamy Hollow, W.Va., 1969. His pony’s back had been worn down from scraping on the mine’s low roof. This is another of Adams’ favorite photographs: “It was the first time I ever took a picture of anyone staring into a camera. I had always tried to be unobtrusive but realized from that photograph what I was doing, and now I look for eye contact.”

John Streets, a Vietnam War veteran, worked in a four-foot shaft, on his hands and knees, digging coal in Deamy Hollow, W.Va., 1969. His pony’s back had been worn down from scraping on the mine’s low roof. This is another of Adams’ favorite photographs: “It was the first time I ever took a picture of anyone staring into a camera. I had always tried to be unobtrusive but realized from that photograph what I was doing, and now I look for eye contact.”

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles for Parade magazine, a few months before he was elected governor of California in 2003.

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles for Parade magazine, a few months before he was elected governor of California in 2003.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

When he photographed Jerry Lewis for a 1984 Parade magazine cover, Adams wanted to convey Lewis’s clownish side along with the humanitarian. Lewis liked the portrait so much that he used it to promote the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

When he photographed Jerry Lewis for a 1984 Parade magazine cover, Adams wanted to convey Lewis’s clownish side along with the humanitarian. Lewis liked the portrait so much that he used it to promote the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

President Ronald Reagan pumps iron in the weight room of the White House, 1981.

President Ronald Reagan pumps iron in the weight room of the White House, 1981.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

Louis Armstrong in his dressing room at the International Las Vegas on opening night, September 1970.

Louis Armstrong in his dressing room at the International Las Vegas on opening night, September 1970.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

Muhammad Ali in New York.

Muhammad Ali in New York.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

Eddie Adams enjoyed photographing celebrities. About a shoot with Bette Davis at her home in 1983, he said, “She gave me a rough time at first, but we wound up getting smashed together. I was going around the house putting out her cigarette butts all night.”

Eddie Adams enjoyed photographing celebrities. About a shoot with Bette Davis at her home in 1983, he said, “She gave me a rough time at first, but we wound up getting smashed together. I was going around the house putting out her cigarette butts all night.”

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

Malcolm X in New York, 1964.

Malcolm X in New York, 1964.

Eddie Adams / Estate of Eddie Adams

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

epa03714567 A Thai Buddhist family take an offering of lotus flowers to pay respects to a giant Buddha surrounded by more than 1,000 smaller Buddha statues at a Buddhism Park, on Vesak or Visakha Bucha day, in Nakhon Nayok, north of Bangkok, Thailand, 24 May 2013. Buddhist devotees throughout the world offer blessings at temples to mark one of the holiest days in Buddhism, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and the death of Buddha. EPA/BARBARA WALTON

Photos of the day

Buddhist Wesak festival, prisoners-of-war reunion, bridge collapse, world’s largest Lego model and more.

A portion of the Interstate 5 bridge is submerged after it collapsed into the Skagit River dumping vehicles and people into the water in Mount Vernon, Wash., Thursday, May 23, 2013 according to the Washington State Patrol. (AP Photo/Skagit Valley Herald, Frank Varga)

I-5 bridge collapse in Washington state dumps vehicles, passengers into river

No fatalities reported; collapse over Skagit River shuts down main route between Seattle and Canada.

SILVER SPRING MD: MAY 18
from left to right, Bodybuilders Jorge Villatoro, Sidney Bumbrey, Eric Holmes and Ron Coleman show off their most muscular poses for the judges at the 2013 Musclemania - Capital Tournament of Champions Contest held at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland on May 18, 2013.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Flexing their muscles

Dozens of bodybuilders came out to Silver Spring to compete in the 2013 Musclemania Capital Tournament of Champions.

epa03714543 US actress Carmen Electra arrives for the Life Ball gala, at the airport Schwechat, in Vienna, Austria, 24 May 2013. The 21th Life Ball, an annual fundraising charity event for HIV and Aids projects, takes place at the Vienna City-Hall on 25 May 2013. EPA/HERBERT NEUBAUER

Eye on entertainment

Carmen Electra, Barbara Eden, Sharon Stone, Goldie Hawn, Jaden Smith and more.

A police forensics officer investigates a crime scene where one man was killed in Woolwich, southeast London May 22, 2013. British Prime Minister David Cameron has called a meeting of his government's emergency Cobra security committee after the killing of a man in south London, his office said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Terrorism cited in London cleaver attack

Two assailants hacked to death a British soldier on a busy southeast London neighborhood street Wednesday afternoon before delivering an apparent...

MOORE, OK - MAY 24: A 'For Sale' sign hangs in a tree in a storm ravaged neighborhood on May 24, 2013 in Moore, Oklahoma. The tornado of EF5 strength and two miles wide touched down May 20 killing at least 24 people and leaving behind extensive damage to homes and businesses. U.S. President Barack Obama promised federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Assessing tornado damage in Oklahoma

Amid great destruction, residents of the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore begin to assess the severity of the twister that hit Monday.

WASHINGTON DC: MAY 22
Contestant Travis Rumans, 31 dances with his beloved glow sticks for talent at Penn Social in Washington, DC on May 22, 2013. The contestants help raise over $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The Mr. DC pageant is a fundraising event to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The qualifications for the Mr. District of Columbia finalists is that they must live, work and attend school in the District of Columbia between the ages of 21-30 who are unmarried, intelligent, and dapper in a suit.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Mr. D.C. Pageant contestants compete for charity

Contestants in the Mr. D.C. Pageant, a fundraising event, helped raise more than $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center.

A Burrowing owl tries to perch on a protective rope in a public park in Cooper City, Fla. Monday, May 20, 2013 as rain falls. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Fun and fascinating creatures around the world.

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