Philip Jones Griffiths - Air date: 09-05-05

Born in Rhuddlan, Wales, Jones Griffiths studied pharmacy in Liverpool and practiced in London while photographing part time for the Manchester Guardian. In 1961 he became a full-time freelancer for the London Observer. He covered the Algerian War in 1962 then became based in Central Africa, moving from there to Asia. He photographed in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968. He went back to Vietnam in 1970 and became famous for his 1971 book on the war, Vietnam Inc.

Philip Jones Griffiths (b. 1936) is a Welsh-born photojournalist known for his coverage of the Vietnam war. Griffiths studied pharmacy but started as a freelance photographer in 1961, traveling to Algeria in 1962. He arrived in Vietnam in 1966, working for the Magnum agency.
Magnum found his images difficult to sell to American magazines, as they concentrated on the suffering of the Vietnamese people and reflected Griffiths's view of the war as an episode in the continuing decolonisation of former European possessions. He was able to get a 'scoop' that the American outlets liked, photographs of Jackie Kennedy vacationing with a male friend in Cambodia. The proceeds of these photos enabled him to continue his coverage of Vietnam and to publish Vietnam Inc. in 1971. The book had a major influence on American perceptions of the war,[1] and became a classic of photojournalism. In 2001 the book was reprinted with a foreword by Noam Chomsky. Subsequent books have included Dark Odyssey, a collection of Griffiths's best pictures, and Agent Orange, dealing with the impact of the US defoliant Agent Orange on postwar generations in Vietnam.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Vietnam
• Agent
• Orange
• Human
• Rights
• Magnum
• War
• Crimes

[greenhornet59]

I hope LBJ and McNamara Burn in hell for the Lie of Vietnam. I served at Nha Trang 1968-69.. The latest Lie is now Iraq.

[carlomac]

what a bloody annoying interviewer, doesn't stop butting in the whole way through.

[flashrobbie]

There's some really great interviews through the magnum site.

I loved the fact that he used his Welsh background to empathise with the Vietnamese. If you want a tribute to American soldiers look up David Douglas Duncan but I think all photographers have a right to show the world the way they perceive it and there is no such thing as a neutral photograph, it's just that some people think their own views are neutral or invisible, they're not..

One of my heroes. RIP.

[Dalesaccount]

I haver met Philip a phew times in South wales he used to visit his old friend Charles Horace Jones, I do not agree with his left wing views one jot, and had quite a few arguments with him, I also have loads of pics of him around the South Wales valleys, he is quite a tall man and must have been 20 stone back in 1992 ...

[charliewhatley]

the interviewer is so condescending

[Mark999999999]

I own this book myself and never knew about that picture hidden behind the fly paper!

[abo7amra]

i meet hem, lucky me

[Stillyouturnmeon]

There shouldnt be a memorial for those who died in vietnam?

Philip Jones is talking like if everyone who fought in vientam wanted to be there.