Nixon

[TennesseJones]

I've recently read Woodward and Bernstein's The Final Days, an extraordinary book about the last days of the Nixon White House. Which lead me back to Oliver Stone's movie Nixon (one of his best films I think, by a distance).

Anyway, this lead me to looking for Bill P's images of the Nixon White House as I remembered that iconic image of Nixon leaving office was his.

So.. I wondered Bill if there was a place where one can see more of your photographs from that period? (And I might be mis-navigating your website/the web generally.)

And I also wondered more cheekily if you had ever described what it was like to be in the White House at that moment, or might care to?

Watergate happened before I was born and unlike some other moments of American History wasn't one I knew properly until recently.

Ps. Mods, I know this isn't entirely photo related, but thought it might be interesting?

Do delete if I am/this is inappropriate.

 

[kbb]

I, too, would be interested in reading any memories that Bill would care to share.

 

[Bill Pierce]

Apologies for the late reply. I’m on the road and don’t normally get to my computer until late, if at all.

Normally I didn’t cover Washington. I went to Washington because Time needed more photographers to cover the Nixon/Watergate story and, perhaps, needed photographers that weren’t in the same mindset as those that had worked at the Whitehouse for some time.

The night before the President’s resignation I left the press room to cover the anti-Nixon demonstrations outside the WhiteHouse and was told by the Presiden't's folk that if I left to do that I would not be included in the group that photographed his final speech as President. The next morning I was sent to the backyard where he would leave by helicopter. There were a number of photographers there. But his departure was not considered the “big shot.” I have no idea why many did not get the shot of his flashing the double V’s. It was quick and unexpected, but not that quick. I know two wire photographers got it. They were shooting in black-and-white. I was shooting in color. So after it stopped being a photo of that day’s news, I continued to get a lot of publication. To this day it still shows up every month on my Time-Life stock sales. I don’t think from the point of view of the photographer’s contribution or skill that it’s much of a picture. But, I think as a record of a moment, it’s a record of an important moment.

 

[Finglas]

Bill, you were simply the right man in the right place.

Glad to hear your comments, it rounds out the story fully.
thanks again

 

[Graham Line]

On the other hand, a pack of photographers were there, and only one got it in living color. That really isn't an accident. The other Nixon photos that stick in my mind are the series Elliot Erwitt shot of Nixon's "Kitchen Debate" with Kruschev.

https://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/tag/elliott-erwitt/

 

[TennesseJones]

Thanks Bill, really interesting!

 

[CameraQuest]

Apologies for the late reply. I’m on the road and don’t normally get to my computer until late, if at all.

Normally I didn’t cover Washington. I went to Washington because Time needed more photographers to cover the Nixon/Watergate story and, perhaps, needed photographers that weren’t in the same mindset as those that had worked at the Whitehouse for some time.

The night before the President’s resignation I left the press room to cover the anti-Nixon demonstrations outside the WhiteHouse and was told by the Presiden't's folk that if I left to do that I would not be included in the group that photographed his final speech as President. The next morning I was sent to the backyard where he would leave by helicopter. There were a number of photographers there. But his departure was not considered the “big shot.” I have no idea why many did not get the shot of his flashing the double V’s. It was quick and unexpected, but not that quick. I know two wire photographers got it. They were shooting in black-and-white. I was shooting in color. So after it stopped being a photo of that day’s news, I continued to get a lot of publication. To this day it still shows up every month on my Time-Life stock sales. I don’t think from the point of view of the photographer’s contribution or skill that it’s much of a picture. But, I think as a record of a moment, it’s a record of an important moment.

Your Time Life stock sales?

Where can we buy them ?

Stephen

 

[jean-louis salvignol]

Where can we buy them ?

+1!

 

[Bill Pierce]

Again, apologies for the late reply. Not much spare time when I'm on the road. I don't think the agency that handles the Time-Life pictures sells prints, just reproduction rights. The legal and practical reasons for this are numerous. I'll check things out when I get home.

 

[hepcat]

Bill, I was a 19 year old sailor on that night... in Photographer's Mate "A" school in Pensacola, FL. I remember Nixon's resignation vividly. There was a cheer that went through the barracks after his resignation speech. I knew it was an important date in history. There was, of course, nothing I could do to cover the actual event as you did, but coincidentally, I did grab a couple of shots. This was the best I could do... I shot an image or two of Nixon on TV during the speech. I don't understand how your shots are still making you royalties and mine are just bad shots of a TV screen. <grin> Thanks for sharing your memories of that night. I thought you might get a chuckle out of mine.

PICT0076 by chief1120, on Flickr

PICT0077 by chief1120, on Flickr

 

[TennesseJones]

That's a great story! Was he very unpopular amongst the people you served with? (Nixon rather than Bill I mean!)

Bill, I was a 19 year old sailor on that night... in Photographer's Mate "A" school in Pensacola, FL. I remember Nixon's resignation vividly. There was a cheer that went through the barracks after his resignation speech. I knew it was an important date in history. There was, of course, nothing I could do to cover the actual event as you did, but coincidentally, I did grab a couple of shots. This was the best I could do... I shot an image or two of Nixon on TV during the speech. I don't understand how your shots are still making you royalties and mine are just bad shots of a TV screen. <grin> Thanks for sharing your memories of that night. I thought you might get a chuckle out of mine.

PICT0076 by chief1120, on Flickr

PICT0077 by chief1120, on Flickr

 

[hepcat]

That's a great story! Was he very unpopular amongst the people you served with? (Nixon rather than Bill I mean!)

Yes, he was unpopular. Although his foreign policy was historic, his domestic policies can only be characterized as a train wreck. There are reasons that he was characterized as the "Crooked King." He was a paranoid megalomaniac who fancied himself as royalty with absolute powers. Those were dark days in the U.S. politically. He was very unpopular among the members of the military. I refer you to the CSNY song OHIO. His successor, President Ford, was almost immediately accepted and was highly thought of by most of the folks I knew in the military at the time.

 

[charjohncarter]

Yes, he was unpopular. Although his foreign policy was historic, his domestic policies can only be characterized as a train wreck. There are reasons that he was characterized as the "Crooked King." He was a paranoid megalomaniac who fancied himself as royalty with absolute powers. Those were dark days in the U.S. politically. He was very unpopular among the members of the military. I refer you to the CSNY song OHIO. His successor, President Ford, was almost immediately accepted and was highly thought of by most of the folks I knew in the military at the time.

I disagreed with his 'price and wage freeze' which is almost what we have today with printing money. But paranoid megalomaniac; maybe paranoid but not a megalomaniac.

 

[filmtwit]

Can we stay on topic? Mainly Bill Pierce's work concerning Nixon?

 

[Colin Corneau]

Bill may be humble about his shot, but the fact is as a photojournalist you make your own luck by being prepared.

The fact that image is being requested monthly some 40 years after its creation is objective proof of that.