Platon Instagram – (1/2) george h. w. bush. ”Today is a day to remember George H. W. Bush. I have fond, personal memories to share with you. I photographed the former president in his Houston office during his son’s term in the White House. Bush Sr. had tremendous charm and wit – his unrelenting political battles of the past had not disfigured the spirit of the man in the present. I asked him about Margaret Thatcher – he said she was a tough lady but a loyal, steady friend. They were together at a summit the very moment news broke about Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, ‘she was a rock that day,’ he said. President Bush was also a huge admirer of Churchill. This picture is our private tribute to Winston – ‘V’ for victory at the end of the second world war. Here is the Bush Sr. character on view – playful, disarmingly cheeky, with a deep rooted love and respect, for public service, courage, and history. This picture was to become the cover of a great magazine called Texas Monthly. My dearest friend and greatest collaborator, Scott Dadich, was then, creative director. As soon as the cover was released publicly however, it occurred to me that the George W. Bush White House administration may read the image differently. I immediately received an email from one of W’s chief political advisors – I would love to share the note with you today. ‘Dear Mr. Platon, congratulations on a cover with cross-generational appeal. George H. W. Bush’s two upraised fingers may represent a victory sign, or a peace sign, depending on which side of World War II the reader was born. However, my three year old daughter had a different take. Upon glimpsing the cover from her seat at the front of the grocery cart, she exclaimed, happily, “daddy, that man sings LITTLE BUNNY FOO FOO!”’”