The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 23, 2025
Calling for Help, Okinawa
1945
(American, 1918–1978)
Image: 24 x 34 cm (9 7/16 x 13 3/8 in.); Matted: 55.9 x 55.9 cm (22 x 22 in.)
Location: Not on view
Description
This remarkable photograph was taken on assignment for LIFE (but not published in the magazine) and is one of the best examples of the narrative, documentary images W. Eugene Smith took between 1943 and 1945 while covering World War II in the Pacific. In this photograph, taken during the Battle of Okinawa, Smith demonstrated his ability to blend his strong compassion for humanity with superb aesthetic skills. In this carefully balanced and illuminated composition, he captured the strain, frustration, and terror of the soldiers' situation. Bombarded by mortar shells and trapped by the fire of machine guns, they were unable to move forward or retreat.- Hinson, Tom E. "Notable Acquisitions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 78, no. 3 (1991): 63-147. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 103 www.jstor.orgCleveland Museum of Art, Tom E Hinson. Catalogue of Photography. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced: P. 324
- CMA, November 20,1996 - February 2, 1997: "Legacy of Light: Master Photographs from the Cleveland Museum of Art."Legacy of Light: Master Photographs from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 24, 1996-February 2, 1997).Notable Acquisitions. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 7-September 15, 1991).CMA, June 7 - September 15, 1991: "Notable Acquisitions," CMA Bulletin, 78 (June 1991), p. 103, repr.
- {{cite web|title=Calling for Help, Okinawa|url=false|author=W. Eugene Smith|year=1945|access-date=23 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1990.89