This month we read about Sharbat Gula, who for years was known only as "the Afghan girl" after appearing on the cover of National Geographic Magazine in 1985. This image shows Sharbat in the original photo taken in 1985, and the photo taken in 2002 when National Geographic located her again.
Photographer Steve McCurry has taken many photos in Afghanistan other than the portraits of Sharbat Gula. Click the image above to see some of them.
WARNING: While the first fifty images contain no disturbing content, there are several pictures toward the end of the gallery that show people injured or killed in violent conflict. If you wish to avoid seeing these difficult images, stay toward the front of the gallery.
Anabel Cotto, one of the first students to read "A Life Revealed" with the ELP Bookclub, could understand Sharbat Gula's surprise at discovering she was an icon. The man pictured in the photo above wearing a white hat and looking at the camera was Anabel's grandfather, and until Anabel accidentally discovered the book the photo appeared in she had no idea the picture existed. She felt strange knowing her grandfather had been part of history. How do you think you would feel if you discovered a photo of an older relative at an important historical event?
A very short video featuring photographer Scott McCurry telling the story of his famous photo and how they found Sharbat Gula all those years later.
This is the television special made by the team from National Geographic Television & Film's Explorer that is mentioned in the article. This link is for Part 3, which is about fifteen minutes long.
Interested in knowing more? Check out these other readings. We won't necessarily talk about them in book club, but they'll help you learn more.
The Story Behind the World's Most Famous Photograph by Jake Wallis Simons
Click the link above to read more about photographer Scott McCurry and his work.
Afghanistan: Shooting Under Fire by Steve McCurry
In the late 1970s, photographer Steve McCurry disguised himself in Afghan clothes and crossed illegally into Afghanistan just before the Soviet Invasion. In this short blog entry, he recalls his experience there. Click the link above.
Afghan Girl's Story Sparks School-Fund Donations
National Geographic created a fund in honor of Sharbat Gula to help pay for educational opportunities for girls in Afghanistan. Eventually, they expanded to include boys and became the Afghan's Children's Fund. Click the link above to read about the founding of the charity.
Afghan Refugee on 1984 National Geographic Cover Embroiled in ID Row by Jon Boone
Sharbat Gula fled Afghanistan to Pakistan, where she lives as a refugee. The Pakistani government recently discovered she had illegally received a national ID card, and Gula's photo from her ID card has become a symbol of the hostility felt by many Pakistanis toward Afghan refugees living in their country. Read an article about this issue by clicking the link above.
All by My Selfie: National Geographic Photographers Muse on the Word of the Year
In 2013, the Oxford English Dictionary chose "selfie" as the word of the year. Several National Geographic photographers responded to that choice in words and with pictures. Click on the link above to read more.
Click here to go to National Geographic's fact page on Pakistan. The page also features photos and maps.
Click here to read (and watch a short video) about the Decoy Experiment, which demonstrates how a photograph is shaped more by the person behind the camera than by what's in front of it. How does this affect your opinion of Steve McCurry's photo of Sharbat Gula?
Steve McCurry has also shot a lot of photographs in Pakistan. Click on the image above to see some of them.
This is the television special made by the team from National Geographic Television & Film's Explorer that is mentioned in the article. This link is for Part 1, which is about fifteen minutes long.
This is the television special made by the team from National Geographic Television & Film's Explorer that is mentioned in the article. This link is for Part 2, which is about fifteen minutes long.
This is the television special made by the team from National Geographic Television & Film's Explorer that is mentioned in the article. This link is for Part 4, which is about eight minutes long.
Click the image above to watch a short documentary film by a 17 year-old Syrian girl living in a refugee camp in Jordan.
A selection of items you can check out to read more about the refugee experience.
Here are some of the things we'll be discussing about this reading.The first set of questions are to test your understanding of the reading. The second set are to make you think a little more about what you read.
Comprehension:
1. In what year was the first picture of Sharbat taken? In what year was the second picture taken?
2. What happened to Sharbat’s parents? How old was she?
3. Is Sharbat married? Does she have children? If so, how many?
4. What is it like in Sharbat’s village?
5. How does Sharbat say that she has survived?
Dicussion:
1. Why do you think the photos of Sharbat Gula became so famous?
2. How do you think it would feel to find out that millions of people had seen a photo of you without you knowing it?
3. Why do you think Sharbat made a three day hike and six hour drive to see the photographer?
4. How do the article's details about Sharbat's life influence the way you see McCurry's photograph?
5. Sharbat was photographed only twice in 17 years and remembers both times vividly. Think about how many photos you have taken this week. Do we take too many photos?