The Photo As Evidence: Rich Man, Poor Man, Thief
Brooke Astor was a beloved old bag who generously held sway over New York society for years. Her son? Not so much, especially after he was accused of stealing money from his ailing mother. The son, Anthony Marshall, was in a New York court yesterday, after being arraigned on charges of defrauding his mom over a period of six years that ended with her death last August. Here you see two very different depictions of Marshall entering the courthouse, one from the staid New York Times (taken by John
Brooke Astor was a beloved old bag who generously held sway over New York society for years. Her son? Not so much, especially after he was accused of stealing money from his ailing mother. The son, Anthony Marshall, was in a New York court yesterday, after being arraigned on charges of defrauding his mom over a period of six years that ended with her death last August. Here you see two very different depictions of Marshall entering the courthouse, one from the staid New York Times (taken by John Marshall Mantel) and the other from the tabloid New York Post (by Steven Hirsch). Each photo, in its own way, shows Marshall in a bad light–literally in the case of the Times, where he and his lawyers appear in cinematic shades of light and shadow in front of a skyscraper fortress. Here he is the quintessential establishment villain backed by his private army of protectors. The Post’s version couldn’t be more different: Here is an object of ridicule, the incompetent rich kid. I love both images. The headline of the Post is the best, though.
–David Schonauer