This photograph was taken by Charles Moore during a civil rights protest in Birmingham Alabama in 1963. The image shows demonstrators huddled in a doorway seeking shelter from the hoses. The water in the hoses propelled at a force of 100 pounds per square inch and was being blasted on protestors bare skin to keep them from demonstrating. This was a common occurrence during the civil rights movement. The police force and fire departments would team up to prevent demonstrations in public areas. This brutal treatment is captured effectively in this image because you can see the force of the water being sprayed directly onto a demonstrator back. You can also see the protestors cowering trying to protect their bodies from the water, the man stands behind the woman and tries to protect her from the powerful spray.
Charles Moore Photographer of the Civil Rights Movement, Dies at 79. Claire O’Neill. March 16, 2010. Photo Stories from NPR. http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2010/03/charles_moore.html