Arthur B. Rickerby was born in 1921 in New York. At high school he joined a photography club that was run by his botany teacher. He went to Duke University majoring in political science. His photography career took off when ACME (later UPI) published his work covering Duke University sports events. After graduating, Rickerby joined the US Navy, serving in Captain Edward Steichen’s naval photography unit during WW II. He covered many major events in the Pacific including the bombing of Tokyo, the battle of Okinawa, and he was present at the signing of the Japanese surrender. After the end of the war he continued working as a press photographer.
These images provide a moving record of Tokyo after the end of the war. There are a large number of aerial views showing the complete destruction of large areas of Tokyo including some moving scenes of Ginza and the area around Tokyo station: Burnt-out factories, groups of demobilized soldiers, children playing in crashed airplanes, make-shift shelters etc. etc.
