The Most Famous Unknown Person!

[Bob Hinton]

I was watching an old newsreel the other day about World War II. On scene was the famous one of the newspaper seller with the banner reading “Britain Declares War”.

This is a stock shot and used countless times and it made me wonder that this chap has probably had more air time than most big stars, and yet we probably don’t even know his name.

Another one is the D Day landings and there’s a shot of a landing craft going ashore. There is a thin faced soldier right next to the camera looking to his right, with a helmet that looks far too big, perfectly calm. This is another shot that is almost always used and I often wonder who he is.

So do you have a famous person who is completely unknown?

[Errata]

So do you have a famous person who is completely unknown?

Well, there are a couple who were unknown for a long time.

The famous VJ day picture of the sailor kissing a nurse. I think one of them has been tentatively identified.

The girl crouched next to a body at Kent State screaming at the soldiers couldn't be identified for a long time because she turned out to be a 13 year old runaway.

Theres a famous Depression era picture of a man pushing a wheelbarrow full of worthless money.

The photo on Mt. Suribachi at Iwo Jima, the famous flag raising was an interesting story. It was a recreation of the original event with a larger flag. And I think that it was thought that there was no picture of the original event, but if I recall correctly there is one. However even in the recreation, they didn't get the names of these guys, and I think most of them died on Iwo. It took a very long time to piece together who was int he recreation photo, and who was in the original, and even as recently as my 8th grade Washington trip, they had not identified everyone in either photo.

[Rubyretro]

I often wonder about two unknown artists.

The first is the cave painter of Lascaux, and the second a painter of Pompeii.

It's a bit amazing the influence that these anonymous artists have had had on countless other artists, and how many people have reproductions of their work -yet we have no idea who they were.

[Chris]

So do you have a famous person who is completely unknown?

At the risk of stating the obvious, Jack the Ripper.

[Robert]

I think the girl with the chalk and blackboard on the old test card was identified at some point - but I bet that anyone who heard her name promptly forgot it.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Bob,

Again, at the risk of stating the obvious, I would probably rate the unknown person laid to rest in Westminster Abbey in the tomb of the Unknown Warrior as the most famous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unknown_Warrior

best wishes

Phil

[Robert]

That's a good one, Phil - and I suppose it's quite important that he should never be identified.

I think the unknown man who died in the King's Cross fire is still unidentified.

[Bob Hinton]

True

All good ones but what I am after is a person who has been seen many times, such as in a photograph or film, but who is unknown.

There's a piece of film on the battle of the Somme where British troops are going over the top. One of the soldiers - I think he is about the fifth one- gets hit and just slides down.

Every time I see that clip I am hoping that this time he will make it.

Then there's that famous photograph of the soldier getting shot during the Spanish civil war.

Someone we would all recognise and yet not know.

[jason_c]

All good ones but what I am after is a person who has been seen many times, such as in a photograph or film, but who is unknown.

There's a piece of film on the battle of the Somme where British troops are going over the top. One of the soldiers - I think he is about the fifth one- gets hit and just slides down.

Every time I see that clip I am hoping that this time he will make it.

Then there's that famous photograph of the soldier getting shot during the Spanish civil war.

Someone we would all recognise and yet not know.

In a similar vein. The soldier in this famous piece of film of The Somme has not yet been positively identified.

[Bob Hinton]

True

That's exactly what I mean. The man is so well known yet completely unknown - if you know what I mean.

[Errata]

All good ones but what I am after is a person who has been seen many times, such as in a photograph or film, but who is unknown.

There's a piece of film on the battle of the Somme where British troops are going over the top. One of the soldiers - I think he is about the fifth one- gets hit and just slides down.

Every time I see that clip I am hoping that this time he will make it.

Then there's that famous photograph of the soldier getting shot during the Spanish civil war.

Someone we would all recognise and yet not know.

Does the stormtrooper who hits his head on the door frame in Star Wars count?

[DirectorDave]

Great thread this.....

Think Phil's "Unkown Warrior" is a great example.....mainly because no one is trying to discover who he is and nor should we.

Another one from wartime would be the body used to fool the Germans into thinking the D-day landings were not happening at Normandy.

[DirectorDave]

Also I would add Mitochodrial eve......the great-grandmother of us all.

I often wonder what she was like and what kind of life she led.

[Phil H]

Some other suggestions:

The "Dark Lady" of the Sonnets?

On a similar vein - Who wrote Shakespeare's plays (if not Shakespeare)?

The Man in the Iron Mask (or was there one)?

Phil

[DirectorDave]

Alex Torrance is pretty much unknown but I think just about everyone in Britain has seen his actions.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/09/21/scotland-fan-who-broke-wembley-crossbar-during-pitch-invasion-dies-aged-54-86908-22577072/

Regrettably Alex died last year after a long battle with alcoholism (Surprise, Surprise!) but he can now take his place among the great Scottish heroes like Wallace and Bruce.