Skip to Content
Art

Nurse in iconic “Times Square Kiss” photo dies at 91

Time Life Pictures / Getty Images

Time Life Pictures / Getty Images

Edith Shain, the nurse depicted in one of the most famous and iconic photos celebrating Japan's surrender and the end of WWII, died at her home in Los Angeles.  She was 91.

Although Life magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt never got the names of the people in his famous photo, Shain wrote the photographer in the 1970's claiming to be the woman depicted.  The sailor remains unknown.

She had this to say in 2008, when she was grand marshal of New York's Veterans Day parade:

"I went from Doctors Hospital to Times Square that day because the war was over, and where else does a New Yorker go?  And this guy grabbed me and we kissed, and then I turned one way and he turned the other. There was no way to know who he was, but I didn't mind because he was someone who had fought for me."

"As for the picture, it says so many things - hope, love, peace and tomorrow. The end of the war was a wonderful experience, and that photo represents all those feelings."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Controversial Israeli Chef Expands Miznon Across L.A.

The Israel-founded group behind Miznon is expanding its L.A. footprint with a new Culver City location, despite protests accusing the restaurant of rebranding Palestinian cuisine, and highlighting its founders’ ties to massacres in Gaza.

April 21, 2026

Five L.A. Menus to Stretch Your Recession-Era Dollar

Recession menus are the new happy hours. Here's how restaurants in L.A. are coping with today's economy, from Long Beach to West Covina.

April 20, 2026

From the Kitchen to the Octagon: One L.A. Chef’s Journey Into the World of Mixed Martial Arts

Chef Walther Adrianzen survived a diabetic coma. He then lost more than 30 lbs. and fought in his first mixed martial arts match.

April 19, 2026

You Think L.A. Smog is Bad Now? Let’s Set the Record Straight

“I remember my eyes stinging and my lungs burning [from smog]," UCLA environmental law professor Ann Carlson writes in ‘Smog and Sunshine.'

April 18, 2026

Daily Memo: ICE Arrests Plaintiff of Federal Lawsuit Challenging ICE Raids

A second ICE-custody death has also been reported this week, while acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has submitted his resignation and will leave the agency after the end of May.

April 17, 2026
See all posts