Jump to content

"that" Photo

Ray Singer
 Share

Recommended Posts

Ray Singer Grand Master

Ray Singer

Posted
Posted

A friend has asked me if I happened to know where this photo was first published. It is that well-known sword of an individual holding a massive sword in shirasaya, standing in front of a large pile of swords. If anyone has details on this photo, including in which reference it first appeared, please let me know.

Best regards,
Ray

post-457-0-08797100-1531361389_thumb.jpeg

TETSUGENDO Grand Master

TETSUGENDO

Posted
Posted

Now thats a photo to start your head spinning, looks very familiar but can't place it.  Grey Doffin seems a likely consult, just imagine the amount of printed material he has handled.

Brian

Brian

Posted
Posted

Afaik, F&G was the first place it was published like Stephen said.
But could easily be wrong. Never heard much more info than that, although I think the gent's name was given...and yes, he didn't take any home.

vajo Grand Master

vajo

Posted
Posted

That soldier on the photo looks not very tall for me. Look at the Type3 tsuka on the floor  :)

Maybe it is a 80 cm blade an he hold it a little far from the body it looks giant. Like the fishes which are catched and photographed?

Robert Mormile Collaborator

Robert Mormile

Posted
Posted

Ray,

 

This photo was actually one of a small group of photos that was discovered by a New York collector hunting for swords in Baltimore.  The vet was from the Baltimore, MD area.  The NY collector shared a copy with the Boston collector (and old friend of mine) Rad Smith who provided a copy to National Geographic back in the 1990s.  The first public showing of the photo was in that National Geographic issue.  I have a copy of the issue but am away from it right now.  If the owner ever agrees to sell me the original military photos, I will let you know...

 

With Regards,

Robert 

  • Like 5
Ray Singer Grand Master

Ray Singer

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Can't thank you enough Robert. And much appreciate the link Stephen.

 

Kind regards,

Ray

 

Ray,

 

This photo was actually one of a small group of photos that was discovered by a New York collector hunting for swords in Baltimore.  The vet was from the Baltimore, MD area.  The NY collector shared a copy with the Boston collector (and old friend of mine) Rad Smith who provided a copy to National Geographic back in the 1990s.  The first public showing of the photo was in that National Geographic issue.  I have a copy of the issue but am away from it right now.  If the owner ever agrees to sell me the original military photos, I will let you know...

 

With Regards,

Robert 

cuttingedge59 Community Regular

cuttingedge59

Posted
Posted

James wait till you see the one with that many on a barge going out to sea...yes dumped.

 

Hi

Many years ago I worked in our public health system at a local hospital. 

one of the guys I worked with was an older English gentleman who had been part of the English occupation forces after the war

had finished on mainland Japan.

He had many tails to tell some not so nice.

Anyway he told me of been part of a team who had towed barges out to the middle of a lake and scuttled them. they where load with arms of all types ,

but he remembered a lot of swords amongst them .

 

He had three bring backs but alas I never got to see them and he has now since passed on and the items have disappeared.

 

Chris NZ

obiwanknabbe Proficient

obiwanknabbe

Posted
Posted

I first saw it in a "National Geographic" when i was a kid.. Prob not the first time it was ever published but it was certainly akin to the moment i figured out the reason i liked girls when first I caught a glimpse at a playboy centerfold. Remember the pregressive... "ooooohhHHH.. yea.. that...Ok...now it makes sense  " realization?  lol

Jean

Jean

Posted
Posted

No Guido, I strongly refuse to indulge in porn stories. This thread should be flagged with a mention « for adult eyes only »

 

BTW, beware of false friends in foreign idioma. For example, in Spanish, a « pollo » is a « chicken », if you want to talk about a hen, never say « a polla » because it means a dick.

 

This is not as you may notice a porn remark but a linguistic lecture. ROFLMAO

  • Like 4
  • 2 weeks later...
Stephen Grand Master

Stephen

Posted
Posted

fallow up, im 99% sure That Photo  did not originate in Nat Geo, the one photo is in a article about Douglas MacArthur. the latter part about rebuilding Japan. 

 

further investigation is in order to from whence came. 

Baka Gaijin Grand Master

Baka Gaijin

Posted
Posted

Hi Guys, 

 

If it helps, the Life Magazine photo archive is now stored on Google, courtesy of Getty Images, it is vast:

 

I've put the basic filter in for late 1945 & 1946 and here is what came up....if you have a few hours to spare, maybe try different keywords in the search engine?

 

Warning, there may be graphic content, also there are cross referenced images, which may not make immediate sense:

 

1945

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=p4ddW9jcO8fcgAbT57vYCA&q=Japan+surrender+1946source%3Alife&oq=Japan+surrender+1946source%3Alife&gs_l=img.3...262588.265232.0.265827.10.10.0.0.0.0.69.538.10.10.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.0.0....0.fkua8zqvVaQ

 

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=sohdW-TcJMfWgAatvYCgBw&q=Japan+sword+surrender+1946source%3Alife&oq=Japan+sword+surrender+1946source%3Alife&gs_l=img.3...291249.292813.0.293329.6.6.0.0.0.0.70.318.6.6.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.0.0....0.4OkO6vYtAMk

 

Here on pinterest, courtesy of Mariko Nagai, is a collection of images of that period, by many of the pivotal Magnum photojournalists of the mid 20th Century including Werner Bischoff and Marc Riboud:

 

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/marikonagai/occupied-city-tokyo-1945-1952/?lp=true

 

Still haven't tracked down "The Photo" but we are going in the right direction.

 

Addenda: 

 

The name Carl Mydans (1907 - 2004) who was a photojournalist for Time Inc amongst others keeps cropping up.

 

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/346566133808914649/?lp=true

 

https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?498113-Sword-Capture-Pile-Japan-1945

 

Trying the military archives and random blogs:

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208251

 

http://www.182ndinfantry.org/Japan-victorious-occupation-1945/

 

https://twoandahalfwars.tumblr.com/post/138908575151/fujisan-ni-noboru-hinode-a-us-marine-chooses-a

  • Like 4
  • 5 weeks later...
IanB Veteran

IanB

Posted
Posted

Basil Robinson, formerly a Curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, was an officer who had the good sense to ask the Japanese prisoners if anyone had knowledge of swords. One admitted he did and was told to sort through a large pile and pick out the best 12. From that selection Basil obtained he blade called 'Dew on the Grass' which was ultimately polished and put in shirasaya to appear so often in exhibitions. 

Ian Bottomley

  • Like 7
  • 2 weeks later...
Blazeaglory Mentor

Blazeaglory

Posted
Posted

Wow that's amazing. Makes me think of all the sad families who had to give their heirlooms up. Those big piles really puts things into perspective. Almost as bad as the story about the piles of swords being bulldozed into the harbor

Baka Gaijin Grand Master

Baka Gaijin

Posted
Posted

I recall seeing Dew on the Grass "Sasa no Tsuyo", a long long time ago, I think it was briefly owned by Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing.

 

It was purchased in 1970 by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, using funds from the Bashford Dean Bequest.

 

I believe the gentleman who assisted him in cataloguing the surrender swords was a Colonel Yamada.

  • Like 1
  • 2 weeks later...
Bugyotsuji Grand Master

Bugyotsuji

Posted
Posted

This photograph was used in an exhibition of Akabane swords in Osafune this spring.

Although I took a photograph of it with the caption, I diid not post it at the time.

The caption for what it is worth says: "Czechoslovakia, from Nihonto Kenkyu Kai, Heisei 10 (1998)"

See thread here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/24971-yomigaetta-akabane-to-甦った赤羽刀-in-osafune/

post-416-0-73583800-1537273914_thumb.jpeg

This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...