Ghetto swimming hole...Philadelphia, 1967

Here's a shot of two resourceful boys having a swim in a flooded storm

drain in the Fishtown section of North Philadelphia about 45 years

ago. And the story gets better: Not long ago I got an email from the

Environmental Protection Agency in Washington inquiring about

permission to license this image. I phoned the writer of the note and

she explained that the agency wanted to use the photo in a soon-to-be

published brochure about urban water quality. The kids are swimming in

a sewer, I pointed out. No problem, she said--the image works for

them. And then she said: "Of course we'll need releases for the

children." The photo was an on-the-fly street capture taken 40 years

ago, I said--I wouldn't have tried to track down parents for releases.

And in any case, I noted, she wouldn't need releases for the editorial

use she planned. No, she insisted--without releases, no use. I did not

offer to try to find the parents or the "kids." Comments and

critiques are always welcomed. Cheers...Bill