Pulitzer and World Press Photo Awards: 1958

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: 1958 

Award: Pulitzer Prize for Photography 

Photographer: William C Beall of the Washington Daily News 

Photograph: Faith and Confidence 

Comments: 

William C Beall was a combat photographer during World War 2 and served in the same photography outfit as Joe Rosenthal, who had won a Pulitzer for his photograph of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. Beall had been at the island at the same time but was on the other side of the island that day. 

While working for the Washington Daily News, William Beall was assigned to cover the Chinese Merchants Association parade on September 10, 1957. Although keeping his eye on the parade, Beall saw a small boy step into the street, attracted by a dancing Chinese lion. A tall young policeman stepped in front of the boy, cautioning him to step back from the busy street. According to Beall, “I suddenly saw the picture, turned and clicked.” 

The photograph is an image of childhood innocence and wonder. 

The young policeman went on to become the Chief of Police of Washington DC, Maurice Cullinane. The photograph was further commemorated by being made into a statue in front of a courthouse, in Jonesboro, Georgia, honouring police. 

Bill Beall with prize winning photograph

Year: 1958 

Award: World Press Photo of the Year 

Photographer: Stanislav Tereba 

Photograph: Untitled

Comments: 

During a football game between the teams Sparta Praha and Červená Hvězda Bratislava, Sparta’s goalkeeper Miroslav Čtvrtníček stands on the football field and lines up for a kick in pouring rain. 

This is the only time in the award’s history that a sports photograph has won, somewhat ironic given that Czech photojournalist Stanislav Tereba shot sports only as somewhat of a hobby. Tereba covered the political changes in his beloved Czechoslovakia over the years and recorded ther Pargue Spring in 1968 when the Czechs rebelled against Soviet domination. 

Stanislav Tereba