War photographer’s haunting black and white pictures of corpses in the jungle and a baby being rescued recall the horror of World War II in the Pacific
W. Eugene Smith's gritty snapshots offer a portal to the past
THESE jaw-dropping black and white pictures capture the horrors of battle for World War II soldiers fighting in the Pacific.
American photojournalist W. Eugene Smith captured the vivid photographs while working as a correspondent for Ziff-Davis Publishing and Life Magazine.
Aged just 15, Smith landed his first job in the field when he began taking snaps for two local US newspapers in Wichita, Kansas.
His early experience clearly stood him in good stead as he was awarded a photography scholarship to Notre Dame University at 18-years-old.
After finishing his studies in the New York Institute of photography he began working on a number of different freelance projects.
Smith was appointed war correspondent for Flying magazine in 1943 before taking up the same role for Life two years later.
The photographer followed the American forces in the Pacific as they leapfrogged from island to island during an offensive against Japan.
During his travels through Okinawa, Saipan, Guam and Iwo Jima he captured the struggles of the young men and prisoners as they battled with the brutality of war.
When Smith was hit by mortar fire in Okinawa in 1945 he was forced to take some time out to recover from his severe injuries.
After a lengthy two-year recuperation process the photographer returned to work.
In 1955 he resigned his position at Life and was signed to Magnum.
He also taught at the University of Arizona until the age of 59 when he passed away after a stroke.
It was always Smith’s intention for his snapshots to spark thought and debate.
He said: "A photo is a small voice, at best, but sometimes - just sometimes - one photograph or a group of them can lure our senses into awareness.
“Much depends upon the viewer; in some, photographs can summon enough emotion to be a catalyst to thought.”
W. Eugene Smith isn’t the only photographer to encapsulate history in their work.
One of the earliest female photojournalists, Margaret Bourke-White, humanised major historical events, including World War II and the India-Pakistan partition violence.
And there are plenty of incredible photos from the past compiled in TIME magazine's 100 most influential photos of all time.