As far as I can tell, there’s no particular historical significance to this photo, which was taken by James Harper of the Air Force’s 1st Fighter Camera Squadron. Layout-wise, it’s pretty straightforward, the pilot’s breathing apparatus and helmet centered on the bubble cockpit and outstretched arms as the New Orleans rain wafts through the window. What makes it so different, worth including here, is that it is one of the earliest pilot self-portraits in the DVIDS collection, if not the first.
Because the works produced by the US Army are, unless otherwise notedpublic domain, it’s easy for anyone covering this field default for these images. As scholar Paul Musgrave note“The story the U.S. government tells the world about itself and its own deeds is phenomenally militarized — and because of copyright law violations, that means much of the scope The public image of the 21st century is the product of the security state.”
Harper’s selfie, which has only been downloaded once before this story as of the time of this writing, is an important image — not because of its perfectly good content, but more because of it. available for free download right from the start.
