The viral photo of Senator Bernie Sanders sitting with his mitts crossed at Biden’s inauguration made almost no history, the photographer who captured the photo revealed.
“My lens was originally on someone else, but from my other eye I saw him fiddling with his hands and I went back to him very quickly. I initially thought I had missed it, ”Getty Images photographer Brendan Smialowski told Esquire Magazine about the now-famous photo.
Smialowski, who has photographed at least four presidential inaugurations, said he knew the image would be typical Bernie.
‘I didn’t take the photo for nothing; it’s a good part of life. It swaps to who this man is, ”he said.
“I think why it’s successful has little to do with my actual photo, but more with Bernie Sanders and his followers and his well-defined image that can carry something like this.”
The photo – which shows Sanders looking less than amused, lanky and alone in a folded chair at the inauguration stage – spawned countless memes in multiple languages and sold out the Vermont company mittens the pair wore Sanders.
“Thanks for all the interest in Bernie’s mittens! It has been a really great and historic day! I’m so flattered that Bernie wore them to the inauguration. Unfortunately I no longer have mittens for sale. There are a lot of great crafters on ETSY who make them, ”knitter Jen Ellis tweeted Wednesday.