The others all have distracted or flat expressions that, you know in your bones, changed dramatically in the subsequent tenth of a second. For any American who was 12 or older in 1963, it is etched into memory, literally an image of our time. It is so much more than just a photograph - really a brilliant piece of journalism, telling a story in a single image. Sadly, you won't find the Ruby-Oswald photo hung in this exhibit. Va. But other famous images fare better in big blowups that make it easy to give them the careful examination that many of these photographs deserve.
Photojournalism is a peculiar art form.
The still photos that appear in newspapers are genuinely old-fashioned. They may now be taken in full color with amazing electronic cameras, and the photographs may reside entirely in computers until they are printed on newsprint, but nevertheless, they're from an earlier time, when a still photograph provided the most vivid image of a news event or newsmaker. The first photographs appeared in newspapers in the 1880s, and by the early 20th century, photos were an important marketing tool for the lower-brow press. As the 20th century progressed, film, television and videotape left the still photograph behind. Moving pictures allowed the remote observer to participate in great events.