Kilroy Was Here by Chipka
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Description
His is a familiar, if partly-obscured character. Millions have seen his bald (or mostly bald) head peeking up over a wall, his prominent nose over the edge and cartoon fingers holding him in place. In the United States, he is recognized as Kilroy, and is synonymous with the phrase (often scrawled beneath the doodle) “Kilroy Was Here.” In England, he is recognized as Mr. Chad (or quite simply, Chad) and in Australia, he is of Chinese origin if his name Mr. Foo is any indication.
The doodle itself, and the phrase, are the conjoined aspects of a single legend, but by a number of official accounts, the two existed separately until around the time of World War II; there are examples of Kilroy that seem to pre-date the second world war, but it has proven hard to substantiate a number of claims as to Kilroy’s origin(s). It doesn’t matter, ultimately; like any good meme (a thought or idea that propagates in the human mind like a virus) Kilroy has survived, and I suspect that if humanity ever gets its act together and colonizes other worlds, Kilroy will, most-likely, make the journey too.
I saw Kilroy, today. In a truck yard. He was not a bald, cartoon man—or a cartoon man with a few, wiry hairs sticking up from a largely bald head—peeking over a wall. He was, instead, a juvenile grasshopper…peeking over a leaf. I’d tried to get good shots of the small critter, but to no avail. The diminutive creature was, quite understandably, camera shy. As grasshoppers are known (among some predators) for their rich, nutty taste, it behooves any young grasshopper to remain wary…to avoid larger things with the ability to move. Big things, in grasshopper logic, are most-likely, grasshopper eaters. And so in avoiding a potential predator, the little grasshopper I dubbed Kilroy did his (her?) best to avoid me…but in doing so, provided a priceless—once in a lifetime—photo op. I’m glad I was quick. This is the end result of my efforts.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all off to a great week.
Comments (33)
danapommet
I love this shot Chip – it is so innocent looking. I have heard the story and he was a rivet checker in a navy pre WWII ship yard. They got paid buy the rivet and with his “Kilroy was here logo” – they couldn’t get paid for the same rivets twice. Or so they say! Dana
myrrhluz
I love these little guys. I spent an hour in the hot Texas sun, in a stony labyrinth trying to capture southern cousins of this pretty green guy. They were not too cooperative with this large moving thing either. What a wonderful shot! I like the way he and the leaf seem to kind of lean into the picture as he stares out of it at us. Excellent background that emphasizes him and the leaf. I like the patterns of the orange behind him and the darkness around it. Excellent dof, color, detail, and light. Superb image and narrative!
MadameX
Love this shot! When I saw it in the list and the title, it gave me a chuckle, so I had to go to it first. Our grasshoppers aren't afraid of us...if I were more into photography, I could probably get some good shots as they don't try to shy away, indeed, will jump on us if we are close enough.