Pulitzer and World Press Photography Awards, 1956

Continuing the list of the winners of 

the Pulitzer Prize for Photography, from inception in 1942; and 

the World Press Photograph of the Year,  from inception in 1955.

 __________

Year:	1956
Award:	Pulitzer Prize for Photography
Photographer:	Staff of the New York Daily News for its consistently excellent news picture coverage in 1955, an outstanding example of which is its photo Bomber Crashes in Street by George Mattson
Photograph:	Bomber Crashes in Street

Comments: 

The 1956 Pulitzer Prize for News Photography was awarded to the New York Daily News for its consistently excellent news picture coverage in 1955, an outstanding example of which, according to the judging panel, was its photograph, “Bomber Crashes in Street”. Published on November 3, 1955, the picture was taken by news staff photographer George Mattson, who flew over the scene in a Daily News plane just as firemen arrived. It shows a B-26 bomber burning in the street outside a home in East Meadow, Long Island, causing an automobile and a home to catch fire. Heading for a crash landing in the crowded suburban section, the pilot had skilfully manoeuvered his craft to avoid houses and the local hospital about 150 metres away. Both occupants of the plane were killed. Miraculously the pilot managed to avoid colliding with vehicles, houses, pedestrians and even telephone poles in making the landing during a peak period. 

Photographer George Mattson had been on his way by aircraft to another photoshoot on Long Island when he noticed the black smoke. He directed his pilot to the scene and discovered the bomber on the ground in flames, the fire brigade having arrived but not yet taken their hoses out. Mattson took the above photograph and, back on the ground (no mobile phones back then) telephoned his newspaper, the New York Daily News, which sent more photographers. The Pulitzer was awarded to the group of NY Daily News photographers, not only Mattson, but his photograph was at the centre. It was the first time that the award had been given to a collective entry. 

(Bear in mind that in 1956 there were no high powered lenses to the same extent as today, no news helicopters, no CGI and computer recreations, no cell phone cameras).

__________

Year:	1956
Award:	World Press Photograph of the Year
Photographer:	Helmuth Pirath
Photograph:	Untitled

Comments:

A German World War II prisoner, released by the Soviet Union, is reunited with his daughter. The child had not seen her father since she was one year old.