Revealing "The Mexican Suitcase"
His photographs are some of the most iconic images of war taken during the first half of the 20th century. And for the longest time, we thought we'd seen all that Robert Capa had to offer. That is, until the "Mexican Suitcase" turned up. It "revealed" some little-known secrets behind the legendary photographer's work. Nick Glass gives us a glimpse.
Through a CNN Producer's Lens: The Battle of Sirte, Libya
CNN Producer Mohammed Tawfeeq took these 22 pictures while he was embedded with anti-Gadhafi fighters as they went into the besieged city of Sirte, Libya. Mohammed, CNN Photographer Charles Miller and Phil Black worked to document the story of the fighters, but also that of the citizens of Sirte who fled the city in droves, piling into cars leaving as fast as they could.
Journey into Western Libya
CNN's Michael Holmes took these photos as he and the team traveled from Tunisia into the mountains of Western Libya. The area is a major base for rebels fighting Gadhafi forces in the war for control of Libya.
Space Shuttle History Captured in Photos
Talking environment in the Arctic with Philippe Cousteau
CNN is launching a "Going Green" special event hosted by Environmentalist and CNN Special Correspondent Philippe Cousteau. It's called "Extreme Science" and it will take you to the Arctic on a journey with a group of scientists who live to study climate change.
You can see our chat with Philippe on some of the more behind the scenes moments of his time there with a CNN team living and working alongside the scientists in that harsh environment. It will be a major part of our show today.
Embedded with U.S. Troops in Afghanistan: Capturing moments
CNN Producer Tommy Evans and Nick Paton Walsh were embedded with U.S. Troops at combat outposts in Afghanistan during moments of rest, and moments of extreme stress and fighting against the troop's opposition.
In the blink of an an eye, or the snap of a camera shutter, things can change. Tommy captured many moments during these times, which show as best as a picture can, what life is like in a mountainous war zone such as Afghanistan. Back|Story really feels the power and emotion that a still picture can capture and we know you do too.
So that is why we called Tommy while he was in Afghanistan and asked him to talk to us about these images; talk to us about what they meant, and the stories behind them as the journalist who took them.
A fistful of fish in the U.S.
Published on the CNN "This Just In" blog on the U.S. Independence Day was a story about a practice called "catfish noodling". Back|Story went along on a trip with a group of international journalists to try it out. Here is the full article below, along with pictures from the trip.
Editor's note: Douglas M. Jones of CNN International tagged along as a group of international journalists went "catfish noodling" in the Tennessee river during the Fourth of July weekend. Here he describes how the outing went.
“Just stick your hand down in there further and see if he bites it," Marty told me.
With a determined look on my face I took a deep breath and sunk back under water, using my arm as fish bait.
Earlier that morning, before sunrise, a crew and I met a group of visiting international journalists at their hotel in Atlanta. We giggled like kids at the idea of sticking our hands into the mouth of a fish and ripping it out from under the water.
It’s called catfish noodling, or grabbling, or fisting; the list goes on. Simply put, you find a lake or river; stick your hand under rocks or logs where catfish lie, in the hopes that a fish will bite down. When the catfish chomps, it allows you to grab onto its mouth or a bone inside the fish so you can pull it out of the water. You are catching fish with your hands; and they are big.
As the story goes, it is believed that for people in the United States, this practice was passed down from Native Americans as a way to catch food and survive. Now many people see it as an adrenaline rush, or a curious piece of Americana that, to us, seemed perfect for a U.S. Independence Day weekend.
We loaded up a bus and headed a few hours north to the Tennessee River in east Tennessee. At the banks were Marty and Fostana Jenkins, waiting with a smile and a wave.
We all stood in a circle, getting a crash course in grabbling and hearing stories of how the fish’s bite can draw blood. Unsure who was actually going to try it out from our group, we met three young girls who could be on the cover of next month’s popular teen magazine, ready to pull dinner from the lake. Apprehensiveness turned into embarrassment.
We loaded our gear and persons onto the boats and set out. We were a spectacle. A boat full of curious journalists from places like Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Africa and the United States, all fixated on a few down-home southerners from Tennessee submerged up to their eyes in brown water feeling around for catfish below underwater rocks.
Then Fostana Jenkins, as if the excitement were as fresh as day one, sternly warned us.
“Oh, there he is! Put your hand up next to mine!”
Everyone leans over the edge of the boat as the brown water reveals a splashing, frantic catfish attached to three sets of hands. It is huge, brown and slimy.
It’s an exciting show. Every photographer who hadn’t planed on getting wet, found themselves waist deep in the water hoping to get the best shot. A rouse of applause was heard from the other boats mixed with screams and cheering.
Time flew by that day. We made more stops at different parts of the lake looking for more fish to catch.
Really for us it was the ultimate icebreaker for new friends who couldn't all speak the same language. Kubat Otorbaev, a journalist from Kyrgyzstan, knew few words in English and was quiet all morning. He boldly jumped in the water and became our hero after catching two huge fish on the first try. He was then our best friend. The smile on his face said everything.
We headed back to camp to enjoy some fried fish and moonshine.
Sights to be Seen in Yemen's Old City
Yemen is making headlines right now, as government forces and people alleged to be tribesman slug it out in the capital Sanaa. Friday morning, a Muslim preacher and several bodyguards were killed when the mosque at the presidential palace was shelled during weekly prayers. Now fears are growing of an all-out civil war in the country.
CNN crews have been in and out of Yemen for months, reporting on the developments there. Last year, photographer Todd Baxter spent some time in Yemen. He went on a shoot in Sanaa's Old City with a local guide and put together a beautiful BackStory with the sights and sounds of the town.
Undercover with paintbrush
Artist James Hart Dyke was given unprecedented access to Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, as MI6 celebrates its 100th anniversary. He spent a year shadowing spies and illustrating their activities. This week's episode of "The Revealer" takes us behind the pictures, and shows us how things are not always what they seem.
Hart Dyke's work looks pretty ordinary at first glance. If you walked in off the street, you might think his art portrayed everyday images. But this slideshow features some of the images he created during that time, along with the backstories on the illustrations.
Japan's Disaster in Words and Pictures
The magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11th is being blamed for more than 12,000 deaths. At this writing, more than 15,000 people are still missing and unaccounted for in the wake of the disaster.
In the days after the quake and tsunami struck, CNN crews fanned out across the disaster zone to bring the story to the world. One of the crews on the ground was reporter Gary Tuchman, producer Justine Redman and photojournalist Mark Biello. Mark recently returned to Atlanta from Japan and shared some his most powerful images and stories with BackStory.
About The Revealer
A new Back|Story series that unearths fascinating new secrets about places and stories you thought you knew. Every other Thursday on Back|Story“The Revealer” Game
Join the action on our new series, “The Revealer.” Use the photo clues to figure out what the subject of this week’s episode will be. Click on the picture to the left for more.
