Pulitzer-Prize Winning Photographer Dies At 104 In Silver Spring

SILVER SPRING, MD — A former Associated Press photographer whose Korean War photos earned him a Pulitzer Prize died Monday in Montgomery County, according to reports.

Max Desfor passed away at 104 at his apartment in Silver Spring, the AP said.

Desfor joined the AP as a messenger in 1933 and taught himself photography while shadowing coworkers. In 1950, he parachuted into North Korea with U.S. troops to cover the Korean War. His coverage earned him a Pulitzer in 1951.

The Pulitzer jury recognized his portfolio of over 50 photos, and cited the photograph "Flight of Refugees Across Wrecked Bridge in Korea" in particular.

Desfor climbed a 50-foot high section of the bridge to capture the photo, showing thousands of refugees waiting to cross the Taedong River in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

"We came across this incredible sight," he said in 1997. "All of these people who are literally crawling through these broken-down girders of the bridge. They were in and out of it, on top, underneath, and just barely escaping the freezing water."

Desfor worked for the AP in the Philippines and India, where he covered Mahatma Gandhi's funeral in 1948. He also served as supervising editor of AP's photo service, Wide World Photos.

He retired from the AP in 1978 and then joined U.S. News & World Report as their photo director.

Desfor was a New York native and lived in Silver Spring since retirement, his son said.

>> Read more about Desfor on AP here.

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