The Year in Pictures 2019
A look and listen back at the photos that shaped the year
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It’s the time of year when newsrooms comb through thousands of photos to find a few dozen to represent the year in pictures.
This has always been an impossible task, perhaps never more so than in a year marked by national and international political upheaval, ever-rising concern about the planet’s future, and social unrest in nearly every corner of the world. No set of photos can capture the full range of stories that held our attention and shaped the year, and inevitably, as many important stories are excluded as included.
This year we would like to highlight another aspect of inclusion — the need for photo essays (and all photos) to be more accessible to those who can’t see. So, we've partnered with WGBH’s National Center for Accessible Media to present you with a more accessible “Year in Pictures.”
Each photo below is accompanied by both a caption and an audio description. While the caption identifies the date, subject and photographer, the audio description puts into words the key visual elements of each photo for people who are blind or have low vision. In addition, a text transcript of each image description is also available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
These 25 images represent only a small fraction of the important stories of 2019, but we hope more of you will now have a richer experience engaging with them. Please have a look, a read, and a listen.
— Meredith Nierman, Director of Photography
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Find more information about descriptive audio and screen readers and see a list of credits.
January 1, 2019
On a wide street, President Jair Bolsonaro stands in the back of the black convertible, his wife at his side, waving to the crowd. Surrounding them is a procession of mounted troops in white uniforms riding white horses. Many of the soldiers wear red epaulettes and helmet plumes while holding aloft red and white flags. Four security agents in black business suits run alongside the president’s car.
January 31, 2019
In the Oval Office, Vice Premier Liu He sits flanked by aides and surrounded by photographers. He raises a hand and gestures as he speaks. Sitting opposite him, President Trump thrusts his right arm across the gleaming wooden desk and points his index finger.
February 5, 2019
A dozen or more female lawmakers, each dressed in white suits and jackets, stand in the celebration, sharing smiles, clapping and cheering. One woman lifts both arms above her head as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a colleague share a double high-five.
March 14, 2019
On a dirt road, a border agent in a green uniform takes notes as families stand in a line. A little boy stands behind the Border Patrol’s spotless white pickup truck. The boy, dressed in a yellow t-shirt and shorts, is barely as tall as the truck’s bumper. He turns his face away from the group and cries.
March 14, 2019
Women in black garments walk across charred ground. One woman, having dropped to her knees, lifts her face as she cries, her shoulders hunched forward in anguish.
April 10, 2019
Against the backdrop of black space, the black hole appears as a thick orange ring with an empty center, like a glowing donut, with areas of brighter yellow and darker orange.
May 1, 2019
At a street rally, Politician Juan Guaidó stands on a platform dressed in black pants and a white shirt. He raises his right arm above his head, his hand clenched in a fist. A man in the crowd joins others and matches Guaidó’s raised fist.
May 13, 2019
Beneath a street sign for Courthouse Avenue, a crowd presses in around actress Felicity Huffman as she approaches a car’s open door. Dressed in white, Huffman lowers her face and touches her blond hair. Two police officers keep back reporters as they reach toward Huffman with microphones, video cameras, and phones.
May 29, 2019
Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a grey-haired man with a slight stoop and dressed in a black suit, walks away from the podium, his hands gripping a folder of papers. Behind him, a Department of Justice emblem hangs between the U.S. flag and the flag of the Department of Justice.
July 7, 2019
As confetti falls around them, the U.S. women’s team cheer and raise their arms in victory. Wearing white jerseys and gold medals, they surround Megan Rapinoe who holds aloft a golden trophy.
July 8, 2019
Standing on the sidewalk outside the courthouse, the protester, a teenaged girl in a denim jacket, gazes with a solemn expression. She holds above her head a large photo of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a middle-aged man with greying hair.
August 6, 2019
Assembled in layers on the dark pavement, the memorial includes dozens of white crosses, votive candles, flower bouquets, American flags, and red heart balloons. At the edge of the memorial, Gloria Garces crouches and clutches her forehead as her long brown hair covers her face.
August 6, 2019
In the gallery, three visitors gather around the portrait which resembles a larger-than-life photograph of Toni Morrison. Posed against a white background, Morrison stands tall, her long braids gathered behind her head and dressed in a grey cardigan over a dark dress. She appears to have a watchful expression, her lips closed, her gaze focused ahead.
August 21, 2019
During the ceremony, the two leaders sit alone, shoulder to shoulder on a small platform. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gazes away from us, his open palms resting on his legs. German Chancellor Angela Merkel turns back over her shoulder with a fierce stare, her hands clasped in her lap.
August 23, 2019
Two dancers face each other. On the left, a woman grips the pleats of her deep green embroidered dress as she steps, the flowing material accentuating her movement. She flashes a smile at her partner, a man in a white tuxedo, seated in a wheelchair. He leans forward and raises his broad-brimmed white hat toward her.
September 5, 2019
An aerial view shows a neighborhood of destroyed wooden buildings, torn to pieces and jumbled in haphazard drifts of plywood, sticks of lumber, roofing and other debris. Amongst the ruins, a few walls still stand, recognizable with empty spaces for windows and doors.
September 23, 2019
Climate activist Greta Thunberg, a slight teenager with a single long braid draped over the shoulder of her fuchsia dress, grits her teeth as she speaks into a microphone, her eyes narrowed in a fierce glare, and her right index finger pointed for emphasis.
October 4, 2019
In the middle of a city street, a woman stands backed by a large crowd of protesters, many wearing surgical masks and dressed in white or black shirts. The woman in the front also wears a surgical mask and a white t-shirt, with a handbag slung on her left shoulder. The woman uses her left arm to prop up her right arm which she keeps raised high above her head, her intense gaze focused on something above her.
October 14, 2019
In the desert, Turkish soldiers march single file, in a long curving line as they cross the barren, gently undulating ground. Carrying massive backpacks and rifles, the troops are in loose formation, with space between each soldier. In the middle distance, a few soldiers gather in small groups.
October 15, 2019
On a wide stage, nine presidential candidates, six men and three women, each stand behind a glowing blue podium. Some raise their hands while others gaze down at their notes. Behind them, red, white, and blue electronic signs show the CNN and New York Times logos and announce Democratic Presidential Debate. High above the candidates, hangs an illuminated ring of stars.
October 16, 2019
In the Cabinet room, government leaders sit elbow-to-elbow at a massive oval table, each place set with a name placard, water glass, and notepad. Toward the center of the table, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the few women in the room, stands up and points her index finger across the table at President Trump.
October 18, 2019
In the space station, the two grinning astronauts share an embrace, their smiling faces turned toward us. U.S. astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch still wear the bottom halves of their bulky spacesuits with lightweight jumpsuits above. In the cramped chamber, the astronauts are surrounded by tubes, harnesses, and gear.
October 17, 2019
During the service, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings stands before the flag draped coffin, in a crimson dress, her gaze turned downward. Surrounding her are politicians and mourners of many races dressed in black, some wearing black stoles with prominent green, red, and golden stripes.
October 30, 2019
The players celebrate in a deluge of champagne. Wearing ski goggles in the foaming spray, Adam Eaton grips the World Series trophy, which is topped with a ring of golden flagpoles. Beside him, Anthony Rendon screams and raises his muscular, tattooed arms.
November 20, 2019
Seated beside each other in large leather chairs, the two congressmen stare ahead of them with intense focus. Rep. Adam Schiff sits upright, his lips pressed together. Rep. Devin Nunes leans forward, his brow furrowed, and his hands clasped at his chin.
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Credits
For WGBH News:
Meredith Nierman: Feature Producer and Photo Editor
Kaitlyn Locke: Captions Editor
Tori Bedford, Esteban Bustillos, Arun Rath, Cristina Quinn and Saraya Wintersmith: Audio NarrationFor WGBH Digital:
Tim Kinnel: Developer Manager
Andrea Wolanin: Senior Project Manager
Gene Yoon: Design DirectorFor WGBH's National Center for Accessible Media:
Bryan Gould, Claire Houston and Madeleine Rothberg: Audio Descriptions, Accessibility Consulting -
Accessibility Information
To learn more about descriptive audio:
The Described and Captioned Media Project
WGBH AccessibilityTo download a free screen reader:
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