May Day... May Day..., a photo from Zachodniopomorskie, West

Photographer's Note

For many decades The Worker's Day became the most important occasion for people living under totalitarian regime to thank for the happiness and the eternal bright future provided to them by their beloved leaders.
Nobody was excluded from those thanksgivings. And a lot of medals were pinned. And many a' many congratulations and diplomas for the very effective productions and glorious socialistic achievements - were given. Even the endless line-ups in front of the empty stores seemed to be shorter somehow during those few smiling days before every May Day.

Those were the days, my friends… Those were the days!

………………………………………………………..

It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the mortal enemy of some other good patriots
Voltaire

As long as the veterans salute those who sent them to the slaughtering battlefields of the world, investing in wheel chair industry seems to be an excellent business opportunity."
G.G.

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You may find your original critique in here or, in here...

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faubry, lestans, Clairedelune, ktanska, arturski ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

faubry (35447) 2009-05-01 5:46

no words from me, only congratulations,
GREAT IMAGE
thanks
francine

lestans (17258) 2009-05-01 6:06

Oh this is great from you!
and your note...!: "It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the mortal enemy of some other good patriots "
Bravo!
ciao from Italy

Livia

ddupre2 (893) 2009-05-01 9:24

un montage noir et blanc étonnant,
un message interessant,

bravo

dd

mortijo (12828) 2009-05-01 9:58

How sad and ... how true.
Great image and great note.
Regards
John

MarcT (20964) 2009-05-01 9:59

Hi George,
Great title and then a note in french on the picture... ;o))
Excellent B&W and a picture which speaks for itself.
Cheers
Marc

jonathan_hart (21276) 2009-05-01 10:19

a flawless composition of an interesting archive document,
a great portrait with a great and alive perspective in background

Traczewska (14) 2009-05-01 13:09

To zdjecie absolutnie fenomenalne.. Stary Wiarus spoza-czasu.. Co prawda bardziej pasujacy do francuskiej rzeczywistosci niz polskiej ale w koncu de Gaulle i u nas mial wielu zwolennikow, moze to jeden z nich..

Wiele smutnej symboliki w tej postaci jadacej innym torem niz ten, ktorym maszeruje rozentuzjazmowany mlodzienczy tlum.. Wojna.. ktos walczyl, ginal, cierpial, tracil noge.. to wszystko bylo naprawde.. Latwo sie mowi o patriotycznym heroizmie, trudno sie patrzy na cene, ktora mozna bylo zaplacic gdy wybrzmialy hasla. To zdjecie mi przypomina, ze bardzo boje sie wojny od zawsze.

I ze nie wierze politykom, ich trybunom i pochodom:)

z pozdrowieniami, agn

worldcitizen (14270) 2009-05-01 13:54

Hello George,
Like the others in this series this is a powerful shot. It is simply emotional and moving, and thought-provoking. Enough said... :-)

bantonbuju (51815) 2009-05-01 14:44

przegladalem dzisiaj galerie:
http://photography-now.net

i mocno mi to zdjecie podchodzi pod klimaty czesto tam wystepujace... niesamowitosc sceny przy nieco "naiwnym" wyrazie twarzy bohatera - nie powtarzalny zestaw...

w sumie tak sobie sprytnie mysle, ze te twoje dawne zdjecia to bym mogla ogladac i ogladac...
nie nudza sie... wiec sobie troche poszperam dalej...

3msie pierwszomajowo...

j.

Clairedelune (4923) 2009-05-02 11:53

I added this one to my favorites. But I could add the whole series... I'm terribly touched by these photos...

Ideologies are so strong... So nice to feel that we are part of the gang, that we toe the line... Yes, smile, make a happy face, wave the hand to salute the gang, show well the flag, and here we go gang... And here again, another handicap is born...

I read that critique by Peter (Homerhomer) again. If I still could mark it as 'useful', I would. Maybe not for you - I can't say - but for me, oh yes! I miss this "free spirit" in TE! ;)

Now, can or should I add something?
No. Period.
Claire

Merline (0) 2009-05-04 8:42

Il est triste, oui...

Brilliant, George, all is said. Why don't you post this great stuff somewhere else too ?

Michèle

ktanska (40061) 2009-05-04 22:51

Hi George,
Great to see your May Day series again. Sheer photojournalism, looked back with historical context. He has perfect grin. Wave flagging in the background so much belongs to that era.
Kari

michelloupis (0) 2009-05-05 0:12

Hi George,

From an age where pictures were pictures. Hats off!

And I wont say more...

n.

ninaL (21348) 2009-05-07 22:32

Piekne, jedyne w swoim rodzaju...
Czegos podobnego nigdzie indziej nie widzialam.
Czlowiek na wozku w pochodzie...
To jest kwintesencja tamtych czasow...
Bardzo dobre zdjecie, wyglada jak wyrezyserowane w filmie, no i wspanialy, unikatowy dokument.
Pysko z ranca.
Grazyna.

horatiuTT (4570) 2009-05-12 10:50

A decisive moment as you caught him just taking the hand at the
head,so,so a theme was created.Nostalgic
A bientot,
Horatiu

P.S.:You don't use to say "On est triste" when it's something general like here ?