The photo known as the
"Editorial Without Words" is
probably one of the best recognized symbols of Shriners
Hospitals, yet it was taken almost by accident. Randy
Dieter, the photographer, recalled that in 1970, he had been
on assignment covering Hadi Temple's annual outing for
handicapped children at the now-defunct Mesker Amusement
Park in Evansville, Indiana.
"I was taking shots of the midway
and was using my telephone lens," Dieter said.
"I saw a local Shriner walking by
carrying a little girl in one hand and her crutches in the
other. My camera wouldn't fire. Then they were too close for
my lens. I ran past them, but the camera jammed. I had to
take my last shot as they walked by. It was the end of the
roll. If I had to think about it, I wouldn't have
come up with something like that. Fate guides you.
"It still seems unreal," said
Bobbi Jo Wright, the little girl in the photo. "I have many
wonderful memories of the years I was a patient at the St.
Louis Shriners Hospital and remember all the fun activities.
I was born with cerebral palsy, which resulted in many
orthopaedic problems that made walking difficult. I had many
surgeries at the St. Louis Hospital. They greatly improved
my ability to walk."
Bobbi Jo received her B.A. in
English from Anderson University. She is active in her
church and teaches Sunday School. "I use a cane when I go
shopping," she said. "If I'm walking on grassy areas, I use
crutches."
Today, the famous photo is an
integral part of the Shriners Hospitals logo, and has been
reproduced on stained-glass windows, mosaics, tie tacs,
pins, and in statues. A larger-than-life replica of the "Editorial Without Words" stands
outside the International Shrine Headquarters building in
Tampa. Photographer Randy Dieter presently serves as
graphics editor for the Kentucky Post.
