A tiny number become people whose faces are recognized across the world.
The photograph captures Donald Trump before anyone knew which path his life would take.
The Child and the Historical Figure
It can be tempting to merge the child and the adult completely.
But they are separated by decades of experience.
The child did not choose the adult’s career.
The child did not know about future political battles.
The child did not know what it would feel like to have millions of strangers debate his character, decisions and legacy.
That is why childhood photographs deserve a certain amount of restraint.
They can humanize historical figures without rewriting history.
They can remind us of the passage of time without telling us what to think.
And they can make us pause long enough to remember that every public figure was once private.
Why This Image Continues to Fascinate People
