On Victory over Japan Day: A local photo from today’s anniversary, 1945

August 14, 2020 Phil Kaufman

Photo courtesy of Phil Kaufman

Share this:

My father, Irving Kaufman (1910 – 1982), was a professional photographer who started in Brooklyn in the mid 1930s working for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. He captured thousands of images of Brooklyn through the 1950s. I have recently digitized a great many of them. My father’s profile can be found here.

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific. It had been a long, brutal and tragic confrontation, ending with two atomic bombings, probably the most destructive events ever unleashed by human beings. The end of the war was surely cause for celebration, and no doubt there are thousands of images of people enjoying their celebrations.

Here is the Kaufman contribution to that collection. It shows the spontaneous gathering on our street as evening was falling on August 14, 1945. A night to remember for those who lived through it — and for those who didn’t.

See the latest “Kaufman’s Brooklyn” entry, featuring four photos from the “Skylines” collection, here.

An index of Kaufman’s Brooklyn posts may be found here.

Irving Kaufman’s profile may be found here.

I invite you to submit comments, memories, images of Brooklyn, and especially any additional background information you can supply about the photos posted here to [email protected]. I’d also be glad to supply information about buying prints of any of the images seen here. Many of my father’s images are also available for viewing and purchase at http://yourartgallery.com/irvingkaufmanstudios. All prints purchased will be the product of professional scanning and editing.

Kaufman’s Brooklyn: VJ Day