Digital Camera World busted out this week with news of a production milestone just reached by Nikon. 120 million lenses produced. I can see why. Terrific glass, mounted on incredibly durable high performance cameras. So, why am I showing you a picture of a silver haired gentleman handing Richard Nixon a book on Park Avenue in NYC?
Forgive me, I have written of this before. But in these tumultuous times, with millions of pictures flooding our eyes, and a madding, uneven, occasionally talented horde of content providers, influencers, and creators clicking voluminously with furious abandon, I thought a mention of the power of a single, observant, quintessentially hard-nosed professional photographer might be intriguing.
On the right is David Douglas Duncan, a formidable LIFE magazine staff photographer, presenting Richard Nixon, a war buddy from their days in the Marines, with his latest book on Picasso. Duncan was a combat photographer in the Marine Corps, and after the war joined the staff of LIFE. Later in his career he became an intimate friend of Picasso, and shot many books of the famed artist.
After the war, stationed in Tokyo, Duncan’s friend Jun Miki insisted that he visit the Nippon Kogaku plant to take a look at their lenses. Impressed with the sharpness, he took them into the front lines of the Korean War. (As David always said, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.”) Considered by many to be the most significant photojournalist of the Korean War, Duncan’s pictures were so crisp, his editors at LIFE in NY thought he might be using a plate camera. When the rest of the LIFE staff got notice of how good the lenses were, they wanted in. And this small, relatively unknown lens manufacturer was on the road to becoming the global brand known now as Nikon.
I shot the picture above for UPI, and it ran page one. (Slow news day.) A couple days later, the phone rang in my tiny NY apartment. “Joe, it’s Dave Duncan, and that was a helluva nice photo you took the other day. Can I get a print?”
I almost dropped the phone. I had studied his work in school. I stammered out a “yes” and made him a print. Dropped it at the Time Life lab for him to pick up. Didn’t sign it. It was 1978, and I was a kid. I didn’t think anything about copyright, ownership, value. I was just tickled to be shooting pictures in NYC.
Many years later, as Nikon approached it’s 100th Anniversary, I was sent to Castellaras, where Duncan lived with his wife Sheila. We did video interviews, and I shot portraits of this wonderfully talented man, one of my photo heroes.
After a bit, he said, “Joe, come with me.” We went into his studio and he rifled through some stacks of pictures and papers. And turned to me with the print I had made him nearly forty years previous. He looked at me and said, “It’s time you signed it for me.”
One gifted photographer. 120 million Nikkor lenses later.
More tk….
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Wonderful story as usual Joe. DDD was a giant when I got into photography. Always admired his work, his Korean War photos were epic.
Good things always come round to good people. Great story
Wonderful story Joe. Thanks for sharing.
Joe, this story and photo of you with Duncan is iconic. What a proud moment! Congratulations.
Joe, thanks for sharing such a wonderful story. My wife, Joan, and I will be joining you in Tuscany. Can’t wait. Annie has been a marvelous help too. Give her my best.
Thank you for this wonderful story. Even if you did tell it before, it is worth repeating and repeating! I wonder what Nixon and Duncan thought of each other when they were fellow grunts together. Do you have a sense of that?
What an amazing story!
Great story Joe. Thanks for sharing it.
That is a wonderful story of two exceptional photographers!
Loved this story of Duncan as I studied his image for many years when I first began photography in LA. Thanks Joe and I still have my Nikon F too.
Such a heartwarming story Joe!
Can we just talk about David wearing two watches…and the one on his left hand??
Fantastic story Joe! Thank you for sharing it! Take good care-Dana
Brilliant story there, Joe. Kinda wish my backstory was as noteworthy as yours. Keep on keeping on good sir.
Now that is a GREAT story, by a wonderful storyteller & teacher …
I love this story!!
Many thanks, Kory…so sorry to be late in response!
Appreciate the kind words, David. Duncan was a hero of the field.
Thank you Mike…a life with a camera has its very singular moments we can all share via the pictures.
Thank you Dana! Hope you are well!!
Hey K-Man….hope you are good. I still don’t know about the watches….
Carlton — thank you for stopping by the blog. David is worth remembering.
Hammer a nail with that camera! As they used to say…. 🙂
Thank you Norm!
All bestm Phil…thanks for reading
Duncan was an icon…so happy to have this tiny bit of shared history with him. Be well Mark…
Yes…they were good friends. In one of Duncan’s books, the author picture is credited to Nixon.
Hey Fred…sorry to be so late. Italy is coming quickly!! Can’t wait.
Much appreciated Joe….
thanks so much for reading Martin….appreciate you taking the time.
Duncan was def good people. Tough as nails with a camera in his hands, and a gentleman in all other areas of his life.
Epic…iconic… tough as nails, hard headed, committed…all these come to mind when talking about DDD…
What a beautiful story. So appreciative and full of respect.
Great story