“Unconditional Surrender” Sculpture Visits Normandy

The 8-meter sculpture of the Times Square kiss named Unconditional Surrender went to Normandy, the scene of the WWII D-Day landings, for a one-year visit.

Unconditional Surrender, which looks very similar to the iconic WWII photo of an American sailor and a nurse pictured in a lip-locked embrace during Victory over Japan Day in New York, was sent over to the French city of Caen on a loan. The said sculpture is placed just outside the Caen Memorial, a museum built in honor of the Second World War.

According to the US-based non-profit organization which owned Unconditional Surrender, the 25-foot sculpture made of cast bronze was sculpted by Seward Johnson and was based from a US Navy photographer’s black-and-white take in August 15, 1945. However, there was a more celebrated photo of the kiss and it was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, Life magazine’s photographer.

Workers worked in putting up Unconditional Surrender on French soil, hoisting and locking pieces together, Tuesday, September 23.

Heziel Pitogo

Heziel Pitogo is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE