Which photographer took the famous V-J Day kissing photograph in New York’s Times Square?

Alfred Eisenstaedt took the famous V-J Day kissing photograph in New York’s Times Square. The image shows a U.S. Navy sailor kissing a woman during celebrations marking Japan’s impending defeat.

Eisenstaedt photographed the spontaneous scene on August 14, 1945, as crowds awaited news that the war with Japan had ended. Life magazine published the photograph the following week in a large section devoted to victory celebrations across the United States.

The woman in the image was later identified as Greta Zimmer Friedman, a dental assistant, while the sailor was identified as George Mendonsa. Another photographer, Victor Jorgensen, captured a similar moment from a different angle. The two photographs are sometimes confused, but Eisenstaedt’s image became the iconic version.