Earle L. "Buddy" Bunker (September 4, 1912 – January 29, 1975) was an American photographer for the Omaha World-Herald and one of the two winners of the 1944 Pulitzer Prize for Photography. Bunker won the Pulitzer for his photograph which he titled Homecoming.
Earle Bunker | |
|---|---|
 Earle Bunker (1944) | |
| Born | Earle Lawrence Bunker September 4, 1912 |
| Died | January 29, 1975 (aged 62) |
| Other names | Buddy |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Employer | Omaha World-Herald |
| Known for | 1944 Pulitzer Prize for Photography |
| Notable work | Homecoming |
| Spouse | Helen Morrison |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
editHe was born on September 4, 1912, and his mother was Doris.[1] He was born in Bridgewater, South Dakota, but moved to Omaha, Nebraska.[2] In 1929 when he was 17-years-old he started working for the Omaha Bee-News.[3][4] He was described as "diminutive", his height was roughly 5 ft (1.5 m) and he weighed approximately 110 lb (50 kg).[5]
Career
edit
In 1937, the Bee ceased publication when William Randolph Hearst sold it to the Omaha World-Herald. Bunker spent the rest of his career with the World-Herald.[3] He was known to carry a 9-pound Speed Graphic camera with a large bulb attachment.[6]
Bunker won the 1944 Pulitzer for his 1943 photograph entitled "Homecoming". The image captured a World War II soldier who has returned home by train, and the moment that he greets his family. The soldier in the image, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Moore, had been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for leading his battalion against Erwin Rommel's Panzers in North Africa. He had been away from his family for sixteen months. Bunker waited over twenty-four hours for Moore's train to reach the station in Villisca, Iowa, so he could take the photograph.[7][8]
When he was notified that his photograph had won the Pulitzer Prize he said, "Boy wait until I sit down. I'm very happy, very happy."[2]
Personal life
editHe was married to Helen née Morrison and together they had a daughter. While at home on January 29, 1975, he died of a heart attack.[9][5]
References
edit- ^ Brennan, Elizabeth A.; Clarage, Elizabeth C. (1999). Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners. London, England: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 497. ISBN 978-1-57356-111-2. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Earle L. Bunker". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 2 May 1944. p. 11. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b Elizabeth A. Brennan; Elizabeth C. Clarage (1999). Who's who of Pulitzer Prize winners. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 497. ISBN 978-1-57356-111-2. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
- ^ Fischer, Heinz-Dietrich (2015). Key Images of American Life: Pulitzer Prize Winning Pictures. Berlin, Germany: LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 978-3-643-90518-5. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Cameraman Bunker Dies at 63; Got Pulitzer Prize". Omaha World-Herald. 29 January 1975. p. 58. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ Jones, Sheritha (July 15, 2022). "Back in the day, July 15, 1943: The World-Herald's Earle Bunker snaps Pulitzer Prize-winning photo". Omaha World-Herald. Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ Buell, Hal (2010). Moments: The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photographs. New York: Tess Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-1-60376-210-6.
- ^ "World-Herald Photographer Bunker Wins Pulitzer Prize". Omaha World-Herald. Omaha World-Herald. 2 May 1944. p. 1. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ "Buddy Bunker, 62, Is Dead; Photographer Won Pulitzer". The New York Times. 30 January 1975. Retrieved 3 January 2024.