President Bush Tossing Souvenirs to the American Troops of Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day
November 22, 1990, printed 2024
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
inkjet print
Dimensions
image: 24.13 × 36.2 cm (9 1/2 × 14 1/4 in.) sheet: 27.94 × 40.01 cm (11 × 15 3/4 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Diana Walker
Accession Number
2024.129.10
Art Historical Context
On Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1990, President George H.W. Bush visited American troops stationed in Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield the massive U.S.-led military buildup in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.ured in this striking photograph by Diana Walker, Bush is shown joyfully tossing souvenirs to the soldiers, a heartfelt gesture amid the tension of impending war. This moment symbolized presidential solidarity and holiday cheer, lifting spirits for troops far from home during a pivotal chapter in modern U.S. military history. Diana Walker, a renowned photojournalist...
About the Artist
Diana Walker
Diana Walker (born 1942) is an American photojournalist best known for her long tenure as a contract photographer for Time magazine, during which she produced some of the most intimate and widely seen portraits of American political life in the late twentieth century. A graduate of Miss Porter's School, she came to photography without formal art school training, developing her eye through practice...