Photos of
LIFE photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt with his wife Kathy in Times Square in New York City when the news is announced of the surrender of Japan on August 14, 1945.
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| LIFE Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt in Times Square on August 14, 1945. In his hands is the camera he used to take the famous photograph of a US sailor kissing a young woman that day. |
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| Alfred Eisenstaedt with his wife Kathy in Times Square on August 14, 1945. |
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| Alfred Eisenstaedt kissing his wife Kathy in Times Square on August 14, 1945. |
As one of LIFE magazine’s star photographers, Eisenstaedt was sent to Times Square specifically to capture the mood of the crowd. He described the scene as chaotic, electric, and filled with emotion—people were hugging strangers, dancing, waving flags, climbing lampposts, and kissing in celebration.
That day, Eisenstaedt captured what would become his most famous image, often referred to as “V-J Day in Times Square” or “The Kiss.” The photograph shows a U.S. Navy sailor bending down to kiss a woman in a white nurse’s uniform amidst the jubilant crowd. He snapped four frames of the moment, with the third becoming iconic.
Eisenstaedt never got the names of the sailor and nurse, because he was focused on shooting as many moments as possible in the fast-moving crowd. He later recalled that he didn’t stage anything, he was simply documenting what he saw unfold. He considered it one of his luckiest photographs, since it so perfectly captured the spirit of joy and relief that day.
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