Over the past three years, the staff at LIFE.com has pored over tens of thousands of extraordinary LIFE pictures — including some of the most celebrated photographs ever made.
Here, in an exercise that proved thrilling, humbling, satisfying, and exasperating all at once, each staffer selected five all-time favorites. Could we have expanded the list to 10, or 20, or 50 favorites? In a heartbeat. But for now, these will have to suffice.
This photo created a bit of a debate in the LIFE.com offices when it came up recently. The majority of the office decided that this monkey looked like it was ‘up to no good.’ I, however, am convinced that it’s meditating on the great answered questions of the cosmos. In reality, of course, it’s probably just sitting in a warm cloud of its own pee.” — Michael Y. Park
