David Schonauer worked as editor-in-chief of American Photo magazine from 1990 to 2009 — Now a freelance writer, he shares his thoughtful perspective on the art of photography.
In this LIFE.com exclusive, Schonauer turns his attention to heroism, and how that at-once familiar and strangely enigmatic theme has been portrayed by some of LIFE’s most acclaimed photographers. “What strikes me about heroes and heroism,” Schonauer notes, “is how often we get the heroes we need.”
Pictured: In this 1950 picture shot of Neil Koenig, a 9-year-old with cerebral palsy, Morse found a subject whose heroism was simply walking unassisted through a school doorway and into a classroom for the very first time. He used the doorway to full advantage, framing the boy as he marches out of one place — one reality — and into another.
read more — LIFE: Looking for Heroes
