Today I am going to write about something that is very close to my heart – special moments in history. If you stop reading now you will later regret it, as this is one of those special moments. A special moment is a point in time that defines a person; a movement; a gathering, a generation, a civilization. A special moment can be as simple as a family celebration or as momentous as a revolution. I have heard individual's debates centre around what they were doing ‘when JFK was shot’ ; ‘the awe inspired wonder as Sputnik 1 was sighted in the night sky in 1957’ or ‘on hearing Neil Armstrong’s famous words direct from the moon’, and ‘the anguish felt over the death of Dianne Princess of Wales’. These are fairly recent special moments. We have them stretching back as far as the dawn of time. Some Earth-changing and others meaningless except to those involved. However, without them you would not be the person you are today.
A male child born April 15, 1452 had his special moment as remembered by Leo from his childhood. The first one he always regarded as an omen (renaissance’s speak for special moment). A kite dropped from the sky and hovered over his cradle allowing the tail feathers to brush his face; whilst the second happened as he was exploring in the mountains, and discovered a cave. He was terrified as a great monster might lurk there but was also driven by curiosity to find out what was inside. Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian Renaissance Man was also a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. His special moment has given pleasure and satisfaction to billions.
J.D. Salinger had his special moment when he met Professor Whit Burnett, and eventually allowed himself to be pushed into writing. This special moment not only changed JD’s life but gave us one of the best known books of modern times ‘Catcher in the Rye’.
Frederick Douglass’ special
moment occurred when he was about eight and was shipped off to Baltimore to
work as a houseboy with Hugh and Sophia Auld. Sophia taught him the alphabet
and Frederick then taught himself to read. From his special moment Frederick
Douglass, a former slave became an eminent human rights leader in the abolition
movement as well as being the first African American nominated for vice
president of the United States. (1818 –1895) Frederick' special moment
demonstrated that if you believe in yourself everything is possible.
Queen Boudicca, leader of the Iceni people led a key revolt against conquering Roman forces. Her special moment occurred when the Romans tried to steal the property of the tribesmen and rule her people. In 60 AD, Boudicca’s and her warriors successfully defeated the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed the capital of Roman Britain. Boudicca's special moment gave birth to the feminist movement.
Arthur Kanofsky's special moment, was as he managed to get 57 jazz musicians to pose for a picture in front of a brownstone in Harlem, New York City. Art Kane created history as he clinked that shutter about 10 a.m. on August 12, that summer of 1958. The photo is now identified as an important object for the history of jazz. An interesting snippet about the photo, Spielberg used it as the reason for Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) coming to the United States. Viktor needed to get Benny Golson's autograph, thus completing his deceased father's collection of autographs from the musicians pictured in the photo (The Terminal).
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It was this picture I can across today (http://exp.lore.com/post/42926804668/one-august-morning-in-1958-photographer-art-kane) and became quite enthralled with that special moment. How did the jazz musicians feel, apart from being annoyed at being up before 10am? And Art as he shoots this iconic piece of history? Did any of them ever imagine that in 2013 people would look at this photo with astonishment, delight and desire? Did any of them know that this was one of their special moments?
None of us know what the future has planned for us or when our special moment will occur. It may not even be up to us to decide if it was an epic moment but we should never let those special moments go, for today’s events are tomorrow’s history.
I would like to acknowledge that this image is the work of photographer Art Kane. I would also like to acknowledge the blog page I found this image on today explore-blog. Any information I used with relationship to this image was cited in Wikipedia. Links for the image, photograph, musicians are listed below. If you clink on any of the names of the muso you will go to their page.
Please note that this image is copyrighted to Art Kane.
Please note that this image is copyrighted to Art Kane.
Musicians the photograph
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