Mother of mercy

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and since the early 20th century, photographs have helped define the key moments and people in history.

Put the words "the kiss" into the Internet search engine Google, and Alfred Eisenstaedt's iconic shot of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square at the end of World War II will top the list, while a search for "Kevin Carter" will bring up the late South African artist's award-winning yet harrowing pictures in 1993 of a Sudanese child being stalked by a vulture.

In both cases, the pictures are the story, not least because they highlight the humanity that exists within a scene of utter chaos.