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"Editorial Without Words" The photo known as the "Editorial Without Words" is probably one of the best recognized symbols of Shriners Hospitals, yet it was taken almost by accident. Randy Dieter, the photographer, recalled that in 1970, he had been on assignment covering Hadi Temple's annual outing for handicapped children at the now-defunct Mesker Amusement Park in Evansville, Indiana. |
"I was taking shots of the midway and was using my telephoto lens," Dieter said. "I saw a local Shriner walking by carrying a little girl in one hand and her crutches in the other. My camera wouldn't fire. Then they were too close for my lens. I ran past them, but the camera jammed. I had to take my last shot as they walked by. It was the end of the roll. If I had to think about it, I wouldn't have come up with something like that. Fate guides you.
"It still seems unreal," said Bobbi Jo Wright, the little girl in the photo. "I have many wonderful memories of the years I was a patient at the St. Louis Shriners Hospital and remember all the fun activities. I was born with cerebral palsy, which resulted in many orthopaedic problems that made walking difficult. I had many surgeries at the St. Louis Hospital. They greatly improved my ability to walk."
Bobbi Jo received her B.A. in English from Anderson University. She is active in her church and teaches Sunday School. "I use a cane when I go shopping," she said. "If I'm walking on grassy areas, I use crutches."
Today, the famous photo has been reproduced on stained-glass windows, mosaics, tie tacs, pins, and in statues. A larger-than-life replica of the "Editorial Without Words" stands outside the International Shrine Headquarters building in Tampa. Photographer Randy Dieter presently serves as graphics editor for the Kentucky Post.
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Above is Randy Dieter's original photo of Shriner Al Hortman (formerly
of Evansville, Indiana, now living in Georgia), carrying Bobbi Jo
Wright. The older girl on the left (in the above photo) is Hortman's
daughter, Laura, who was a patient at Shriners Hospital
in St. Louis. After Laura began receiving
treatment at Shriners Hospitals For Children, Hortman himself joined the
Shrine. The photo on the right is of Bobbi Jo Wright the "little girl" being carried in Dieter's famous photo (above). Ms. Wright is now grown-up and lives with her mother in Evansville, Indiana. |
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"No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help A Child"