When A Kiss Isn't Just A Kiss

Few photos ever gain such an iconic status that it evokes a specific point in time and warrants a statue to emphasize its importance. One such photo is this kiss in Times Square between a sailor and a nurse in Times Square on V-J (Victory Over Japan) Day, photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt on August 14, 1945. That photograph has become a classic Times Square image that they've turned into this giant statue right smack (pun intended) in the middle of Times Square.

I've seen a smaller version of this statue two years ago by the entrance to the Times Square Visitor's Center. This monumental one just begs to be photographed, so I did. It's also the centerpiece for the recent "Kiss-In" Event to commemorate V-J Day in which people are invited to pucker up with their partners.

During the few days that this statue was in Times Square, tourists took turns kissing their loved ones underneath the romantic statue and having themselves photographed while doing it. Now you know that mass-kissing in Times Square doesn't only happen on New Year's Eve!