David Kirby (activist)

For other people named David Kirby, see David Kirby (disambiguation).

David Lawrence Kirby (December 6, 1957 – May 5, 1990)[1] was an American HIV/AIDS activist, and the subject of a photograph taken at his deathbed by Therese Frare. The image was published in Life magazine,[2] which called it the "picture that changed the face of AIDS".

The image shows Kirby, near death, a vacant look on his face, and his father holding his son's head in a moment of grief. Other members of Kirby's immediate family are seated next to him. Life featured the image in its November 1990 issue, after which it gained first national and then international attention. The picture was later used by United Colors of Benetton in an advertising campaign, with the permission of Kirby's family, who felt that its use would show the devastating effects of AIDS.[3]

David Kirby on his deathbed, surrounded by his family.
The famous photo of David Kirby dying from AIDS next to his father, sister, and niece
  1. ^ "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, & 1958-2007, database on-line". Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  2. ^ Cosgrove, Ben. "Behind the Picture: The Photo That Changed the Face of AIDS". Life. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  3. ^ "Benetton Pieta in AIDS campaign - The Inspiration Room". The Inspiration Room. 2007-04-07. Archived from the original on 2017-04-02. Retrieved 2017-04-01.