FRAGMENTS | Ralph Morse

In 1942, at the age of 24, Ralph Morse was the youngest war photographer sent to France for "Life" magazine. While in France, Morse received special permission to accompany and document the wounding of an American soldier named George Lott. Morse was present at all the surgeries, accompanied all the transitions between rehabilitation, fed Lott and even injected penicillin into his wounds. His photographs showing the pain of the soldier were considered a model for effective journalism and became a symbol of the war wounded. In 1947, when Life magazine returned to check on Lott's condition, it was learned that he was still undergoing rehabilitation and that one of his arms had to be amputated.