Who photographed the famous V-J Day kissing image in New York’s Times Square?

Alfred Eisenstaedt photographed the famous V-J Day kissing image in New York’s Times Square. The photograph shows a U.S. Navy sailor kissing a woman in a white uniform amid celebrations on 14 August 1945.

Eisenstaedt was working for Life magazine and used a Leica IIIa camera. He made several quick exposures while following the sailor through the crowded square. The photograph was published in Life the following week in a special section devoted to victory celebrations.

The image is often called “The Kiss” and is sometimes confused with a similar photograph by Navy photographer Victor Jorgensen. Jorgensen’s picture was taken from a different angle and published in the New York Times, while Eisenstaedt’s image became the more widely recognized version.