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This Happened

This Happened - April 23: ​History's First Iconic War Photo

Roger Fenton's photograph "the Valley of the Shadow of Death," is considered the first-ever iconic war image, and was taken on this day in 1885.

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What is the Valley of the Shadow of Death?

The area known as the "Valley of the Shadow of Death" is a narrow valley in Crimea, where one of the bloodiest battles of the Crimean War took place on October 25, 1854. The photograph was taken in 1855, after the battle had taken place. It is not a photograph of the actual battle, but rather a photograph of the aftermath.

What is the significance of the Valley of the Shadow of Death photograph?

The image is significant because it is one of the first images in the early years of photography to depict the aftermath of a battle. It shows a desolate landscape littered with cannonballs, and it captures the horror and devastation of war. The photograph also raises questions about the role of photography in shaping public opinion about war.

What happened to the Valley of the Shadow of Death?

The Valley of the Shadow of Death is still in the Crimea, and it is now a popular tourist destination. The area has been cleaned up and is no longer littered with cannonballs, but there are still signs of the battle, including trenches and fortifications.

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food / travel

Meet Blanca Alsogaray, The First Woman To Win Cuba's "Oscar Of Cigars"

For the first time, Cuba's prestigious annual cigar festival recognized a woman, Alsogaray, owner of an iconic cigar shop in Buenos Aires, as the top representative of this celebrated lifeline of the Cuban economy.

Photo of a woman smoking a cigar.

Alsogaray smoking a cigar at her shop in Buenos Aires

Mariana Iglesias

BUENOS AIRES — Cigars are traditionally reserved for a man's world. But this year, for the first time, a Latin American woman has won one of three awards given at the 23rd Habano Festival in Cuba.

Every year since 2000, the Festival has gathered the top players in the world of Cuban cigars including sellers, distributors, specialists and aficionados. A prize is given to an outstanding personality in one of three areas: production, communication and sales. The latter went to Blanca Alsogaray, owner of the Buenos Aires shop La Casa del Habano. She says these prizes are not unlike the "Oscars of cigars."

"It's a sexist world for sure, but I won," she said of a prize which was called "Habano Man" (Hombre habano) until this year, when the word was changed for her.

"It recognizes a lifetime's work, which I consider so important as Argentina isn't an easy place for business, and less so being a woman." She was competing with two men. "In truth," she added. "I really do deserve it."

Alsogaray opened her shop in 1993. At the time there were only two sellers anywhere of Cuba's premium, hand-rolled cigars, the other one being in Mexico. Now habanos are sold in 150 outlets worldwide. "I want to celebrate these 30 years, and the prize. We're going to have a big party," she said. The firm celebrated its 30th anniversary on May 16.

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