How Richard Nixon Stole This Photograph - The Story Of The Kitchen Debate
American people standing up to the Soviets! America needs Nixon! These are some of the phrases uttered as this photo was displayed during Nixon’s presidential campaign. The old adage states a “picture is worth a thousand words” and behind every picture, there is a story. This is one of those photos, where the story is just as good as the picture.
How many times have we heard that truth is in the eye of the beholder? We have seen it many times in the history of photography and photojournalism. Some photographs are just not what you think they are. Sometimes the composition is corrected later in the post, sometimes pictures of casual moments are staged, and sometimes the story behind the photograph is just completely different from the reality.
The medium of photography represents the vision of the artist as it captures a two-dimensional representation of their three-dimensional reality. Because of this kind of interpretation, it is never objective every time and often it needs additional explanation. Often, a good photo needs no explanation. However, in photojournalism, it is often crucial to describe the situation so the picture is not misinterpreted. The photographer, is the author of the photo, they should be the final authority of the photo when it comes to sharing the story.
Nikita Khrushchev and Richard Nixon. Moscow, USSR. 1959.
© #ElliottErwitt/#MagnumPhotos
But what if the story of your photograph was hijacked and misinterpreted? What would you do? That is actually what happened to Elliott Erwitt. The French-born American photographer known for his advertising and documentary photography was put into a situation where his story was turned upside down.
It was July 24th, 1959 when the then Vice President Richard Nixon visited the American national exhibition in Moscow. The exhibition was showcasing American art, fashion, cars, model homes, kitchens, and more in "Typical American Houses". It was basically introducing the American lifestyle to a wider public in Soviet Russia. The now famous kitchen debate happened in the house called Splitnik, which was created from the words "split" and Sputnik. Sputnick being the name of the satellite the Soviets launched into orbit two years earlier. It is here in Splitnik, where the moment in time split the very story Elliot Erwitt captured.
The photograph happened in typical Erwitt fashion. He was in Moscow working for Westinghouse Electric taking pictures of refrigerators and their installation for Macy's kitchens.
"When Nixon famously wagged his finger at Khrushchev, nobody from the media was there. Only me. I happened to be at the right place at the right time. I was in the kitchen free to move. it was like shooting fish in a barrel." Erwitt said.
This seems to be a recurring theme of Erwitt's photographs.
"The best things happen because you just happen to be somewhere with a camera. Some of my colleagues in Magnum go to places on purpose to do news, but the historic pictures I have made have been by sheer accident." - Elliott Erwitt
Nixon’s staff would use this photograph during his presidential campaign to show Nixon standing up to the Soviets when in reality they were actually discussing something completely different at that moment. The argument about cabbage soup vs. red meat was little twisted to help Nixon in the campaign. However, this twist was not enough to overcome JFK’s campaign.
When we look at the contact sheets it actually seems as though the discussion was rather friendly and we can even see Khrushchev in a similar position as Nixon had been before.
Remember that truth is in the eye of the beholder? That is why photography as a medium can never be 100% objective. Simply because what is included or left out is chosen by the photographer.
When I started studying photography and looked for the sources to learn from, the answer I found very often was - look at the pictures of great photography masters, you may often realise it teaches you more than just composition techniques.
If there is one thing we can take from this story I think it would be:
A simple twist to reality can change the narrative of a single photograph. News and the media will push you to decide why a photo is the way it is. However, if you look at a photo both subjectively and objectively, you might discover it’s truth. Which is I think, in today’s digital age very important.
Ultimately, you are the beholder.
If you're interested in learning more, check out this book: "Elliott Erwitt: Home Around the World": This book offers a comprehensive look at Erwitt's photographic career, featuring images from his travels and assignments around the globe. The collection showcases Erwitt's talent for capturing the essence of a place and its people through his candid, evocative images.
