Physicist discovers fascinating detail about iconic WWII photo ["The Kiss" NY's Times Sq]

FoxNews ^ | July 08, 2015 | Elizabeth Armstrong Moore

[ETL]

The party started early on VJ Day. Though the official announcement that World War II ended wasn't made until closer to 7pm on Aug. 14, 1945, a scientific assessment of the famous photo of the couple kissing in celebration, called "VJ Day in Times Square" and widely known as "The Kiss," reveals the duo actually locked lips before then—at 5:51pm Eastern, to be precise.

So reports a team of scientists that includes a physicist and astronomer in the August issue of Sky & Telescope magazine. While they can't say with certainty who the couple is, they've used clues in the photo, such as shadows and light angles, as well as vintage maps and aerial photos, to determine the precise time photojournalist Alfred Eisenstaedt captured one of the century's most iconic images.

Physicist Donald Olson says it took four years to sort out, a journey that started in 2010 when an astrophysicist friend and colleague pointed out—in response to a New York Times article detailing new evidence about the image—that a peculiar shadow was draping part of the Bond clock in the background, reports Wired.

[Kirkwood]

If you just look at the Bond clock, it reads 5:51. So they spent several years confirming what was right there in the photo.

[SamAdams76]

Official announcement or not, there was much to celebrate on the afternoon August 14, 1945. The two atomic bombs had been dropped and the Japanese mainland was being carpet-bombed by endless streams of B-29s with more atomic bombs to follow if the Japanese did not accept the surrender terms presented to them.

It was pretty obvious to everybody that the real fighting was finally over.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Wouldn’t it have been easier to check the EXIF data?

[yarddog]

The Sailer was a McDuffie. I remember he claimed to be the one in the picture and saw a show on TV in which they pretty much proved he was right.

[ETL]

If you just look at the Bond clock, it reads 5:51. So they spent several years confirming what was right there in the photo.

Public clocks have been known to be incorrect, or not even working. However, people were already gathered there in apparent pre-celebration of the announcement (I'm assuming). Need to look into that.

[ETL]

Official announcement or not, there was much to celebrate on the afternoon August 14, 1945. The two atomic bombs had been dropped and the Japanese mainland was being carpet-bombed by endless streams of B-29s with more atomic bombs to follow if the Japanese did not accept the surrender terms presented to them. It was pretty obvious to everybody that the real fighting was finally over.

Thanks. I was wondering about that.

[Daffynition]

Who cares? It's still a wonderful image.

I wonder how many 'Mericans know what *VJ Day* is, if asked?

[TexasGator]

It us august. whites are uniform of the day.

Dress blues are always ok.

[Skooz]

Yes. They were.

[cynwoody]

how much taxpayer money was spent on this study?

Hard to say.

No mention of a government grant. Although the investigators were employed by state universities, it's not clear if the investigation was performed "on the clock" or, if it was, how much of their compensation should be allocated to it.

[Seruzawa]

As I recall at certain times of the year you can wear either whites or blues. Uniform of the day is posted each morning. Ships and stations may differ.

[miss marmelstein]

LOL. I clicked on this expecting that some scientist was claiming the woman was really a transvestite.

[ETL]

Who cares? It's still a wonderful image.

Of course it is. Nothing wrong with getting the facts straight, though. Doesn't take anything away from it.

[tophat9000]

its not even that complicated

why not asked people that were around VJ Day ....when did they know they announced for this was coming down and when did they start celebrating that day...

[miss marmelstein]

In those days, the clocks were usually right. People cared in those days to get things right.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Today it would be two guys kissing and they would be celebrating Americas loss.

[rlmorel]

Funny...for years as a kid, I always thought that was my mother and father in that picture, but he was a nugget (out of V12) on the USS Whitmarsh at the time, which arrived in Japan only a week or so after the surrender document was signed.

But my mom wasn't even in nursing school at that time!

I saw this picture of my Dad (far right) with some other guys in the V-12 program in 1945, and my mind did all the rest!

[rlmorel]

OMG...I love the picture!

[ETL]

If you just look at the Bond clock, it reads 5:51. So they spent several years confirming what was right there in the photo.

Just realized that the Bond Clock photo I posted shows nearly 7pm, or at the official announcement. Apparently the Clock also appears in the famous photograph reading 5:51.

[21twelve]

I asked my mom a couple years ago about VJ day. She was living in California where my dad was based out of (Navy). She said “Oh no - I didn’t go in to town (San Diego?) - it was too crazy! But oh what a relief that was!”