Churchill's cigar air-brushed out...

[Quigley Brown]

A London museum - The Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience....

[/IMG]

The story:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7828755/Winston-Churchills-cigar-airbrushed-from-picture.html

 

[Feraud]

I read the story last week. The museum was unaware of the alteration and who/why W.C.'s stogie was removed.
The cry of "Censorship!" as noted in the article is a bit pre-mature.

 

[NDW76]

That's a horrible thing to do to the great man. They make him look like he suffered from some horrible facial tick.

 

[MisterCairo]

Probably an oversight, but wonder if it will be replaced in light of the controversy...

 

[Spitfire]

Someone is bound to start a Facebook Group in order to get the cigar back!
lollol

 

[Feraud]

Now that is funny! lol

 

[Edward]

Not really a surprise.... I remember when Robert Johnson, the blues legend, appeared on a US Post Office stamp some years back. There are only two known photos of the man. The one they used - a close-up, portrait shot, was airbrushed to remove his cigarette as the USPO was legally bound not to use any image which appeared to condone the use of tobacco.

It's an interesting notion, that someone would 'censor' a photo of a man celebrated for his perceived role in defending the 'free' world from fascism... though, TBH, this is nothing - I'd be far more concerned by the fact that the mythical Churchill figure of popular history is still permitted to take precedence over the reality of the man, good and bad.

 

[Feraud]

Right now these are different situations.
The Robert Johnson stamp was a conscious choice by the USPS. One which I happen to strongly disagree with..
The museum showing the Churchilll image currently admits to not knowing who altered the image or why. They also state to not have an issue with smoking.
While we may wish to discuss Churchill's stogie (or lack of) in the context of censorship, it is not the case.. yet.

 

[Quigley Brown]

I just would think an expert running a Churchill war museum would be quite aware of all well-known photos of him and recognize the 'error' very quickly. [huh]

 

[MisterCairo]

Someone is bound to start a Facebook Group in order to get the cigar back!
lollol

Done:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=132553180106035

 

[dhermann1]

It's hard to keep that mythical character out of the picture because once you've really delved into WSC's life, seen all his strengths and weakness, his triumphs and egregious blunders, the sheer spectacularness (is there such a word? I don't want to just say "spectacle") of the man, and his outrageous charm and lovableness, are still monumental. I mean, what a freaking CHARACTER he was!

 

[Smithy]

It's hard to keep that mythical character out of the picture because once you've really delved into WSC's life, seen all his strengths and weakness, his triumphs and egregious blunders, the sheer spectacularness (is there such a word? I don't want to just say "spectacle") of the man, and his outrageous charm and lovableness, are still monumental. I mean, what a freaking CHARACTER he was!

I agree dhermann, the man was one of the very, very few characters who are genuinely larger than life.

No doubt the guerrilla tactics of some graphic designer who also happens to be one of those rabid anti-smoking nazis and thought they'd make a point.

Bring back the stogie I say. You're hardly going to get a bunch of second formers on a school trip all walking past Winnie and suddenly having an irresistible urge to take up smoking, and all off to buy Cubans from the cornershop by the bus stop.

 

[conrad5157]

Sad. I thought only we in the US would be guilty of this kind of nonsense, sorry to see it spread to th UK.

Perhaps if the London Museum wants to take it to the next level, the caption below the picture should read "Teetotaler Winston Churchill".

 

[Feraud]

Done:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=132553180106035

Funny!
I hope they get that stogey back in WC's mouth.

 

[MisterCairo]

Funny!
I hope they get that stogey back in WC's mouth.

Four members and counting! Jump on the bandwagon, you know you want to!

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Indeed. While it's not in the top ten of "things that get me riled up", the situation is curious enough, and I'm game enough to join the group. Ditto my Churchill-admiring, British Mister.

 

[Feraud]

Four members and counting! Jump on the bandwagon, you know you want to!

I may have to create a Facebook account just to support this.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I think it's funny that it's still referred to as "airbrushing" by some. Calling things "Photoshopped" is a lot more common these days and accurate. That reporter must be showing their age .

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Six members when I joined, and me, the man, and a pal have increased the volume by 33%. Talk about activism!

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I'm sure the museum knows or could easily find out who did it - and IMHO, fire them. It's tampering with historical fact. It's NOT something someone in a museum, of all places, should be doing. It would be like painting a hat on the Mona Lisa or something.