A new angle on Tianamen Square's "Tank Man"

Yesterday, I wrote about four iconic photos of "Tank Man" in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China.

We've all seen them, they are among the most famous photographs in history.

But now they New York Times' "Lens" blog (the New York Times blogs all have one-word semi-zen names -- the baseball blog is "Bats" for example) shows us a never before seen photo from a different angle.

Mr. Jones’ angle on the historic encounter is vastly different from four other versions shot that day, taken at eye level moments before the tanks stopped at the feet of the lone protester. Wildly chaotic, a man ducks in the foreground, reacting from gunfire coming from the tanks. Another flashes a near-smile. Another pedals his bike, seemingly passive as the tanks rumble towards confrontation.

The photograph encourages the viewer to reevaluate the famous encounter. Unlike the other four versions, we are given a sense of what it was like on the ground as the tanks heaved forward, the man’s act of defiance escalated by the flight of others.

Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of Tank Man's heroic stand. Still, to this day, no one knows who he is or what happened to him.