This black and white photograph of a Korean War correspondent taking care of an orphaned kitten is one of the most iconic historical photographs that touched the hearts of many. I chose to analyze this photo with Roland Barthes' concept of studium and punctum as it is really interesting and captivating, even more so after learning about its backstory.
Taken in 1952, this photo features US Marine, Frank Praytor leaning against a wall of sandbags in a trench, his helmet resting on his right knee and his pistol holstered at his hip as he gently fed the kitten with watered down can milk with a medicine dropper obtained from a corpsman ( Morris 2011 ). The mother cat was killed by his fellow colleague for yeowling before discovering the two kitten it left behind, one of which was adopted by Prayton and named Miss Hap ( mishap ) for being born in the wrong place and time. The photo was taken by Staff Sergeant Martin Riley, one of the official photographers whom Praytor worked with, taking freelance photos of the Korean war at their battalion. The photographer used one of the most important composition technique, the rule of thirds to compose this photograph and although unintentional, the soft sunlight shinning from a single direction casting shadows on his face perfectly captured the emotion of the moment. The above composition and contextual analysis of the photo is the studium, 'a kind of general, enthusiastic commitment, a kind of education (civility, politeness) that allows discovery of the operator' ( Barthes, 1981 )
The punctum of this photo, ‘that accident which pricks, bruises me’ ( Barthes, 1981 ) is the kindness of the Marine, his attentiveness towards the tiny kitten, being so careful as if the slightest touch could break her fragile body. His behaviour contrasted with his position as a Marine combat correspondent, a soldier who was meant to take lives in the line of duty was able to let down his facade, showing mercy and compassion to this little creature amid the chaos and carnage of war. Perhaps Praytor needed Miss Hap as much as she needed him, nursing her helped him find peace, or maybe to relieve him of guilt that one of his colleagues killed her mother. This simple photo expresses so much more than words could, demonstrating the conscience of mankind even at the most despairing situations. It also makes us question the purpose of war, soldiers having to leave their loved ones and their peaceful lives ( Praytor was a journalist before enlistment ) behind to fight for their country while inflicting pain on enemy soldiers suffering the same hardships.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Frank Prayton was not just the model of this iconic photo, he himself was an award winning photographer. He won with a photo of a fellow wounded Marine and both rose to fame at the time, and it is said that this compassionate act of him nursing Miss Hap saved him from brig time. The war veteran passed away recently on 10th January 2018, but he will forever be remembered by the public through both photos which will last forever.
Reference
Barthes, R. (1981) Camera Lucida: Reflections on photography. New York, Hill and Wang.
Evans, H. ( 2013 ) 'ROLAND BARTHE’S DISTINCTION BETWEEN STUDIUM AND PUNCTUM USING A SINGULAR VERNACULAR PHOTOGRAPH OF ME AND MY NAN FROM 1994' , Hayley Evans Photography. Available at： http://hayleyevansphotography.weebly.com/roland-barthes-essay-studium-and-punctum.html ( Accessed: 11 March 2018 ).
Powell, G. ( 2008 ) 'Studium and Punctum' , George Powell Photography, 1 July. Available at: https://georgepowell.wordpress.com/?s=Studium+and+Punctum ( Accessed: 11 March 2018 ).
Praytor, F. D. ( 2009 ) 'The Commandant and the cat who/that saved me from the brig' , Korean War Veteran’s Association, 23 (3), pp. 30, 31 65. Available at: http://www.kwva.org/graybeards/gb_09
/gb_0906/gb_0906_final.pdf ( Accessed: 11 March 2018 ).
Morris, K. ( 2011 ) 'Kindness to a kitten spans generations' , The Daily Dot, 15 August. Available at: https://www.dailydot.com/culture/kindness-kitten-spans-generations-touches-redditor/ ( Accessed: 11 March 2018 ).
Robson, S. ( 2018 ) 'Former Korean War correspondent photographed feeding orphaned kitten dies', Stars and Stripes, 24 January. Available at: https://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/former-korean-war-correspondent-photographed-feeding-orphaned-kitten-dies-1.508387 ( Accessed: 11 March 2018 ).
Comments