This image comes directly from the family of Werner H. Schmitz, Staff Sergeant, 4th Marine Division who developed Rosenthal's negative and sent this print home to his wife in 1945. It is very likely that this is the first print made of this Pulitzer Prize-winning image. In a letter sent along with this picture, Mr. Schmitz explained to his wife that this was the first print made, and he wrote on back of the image This is the negative I made. He went on to explain that he was able to develop this and many other images by obtaining the developing chemicals from "Dad", the nickname for a fellow Marine. "Dad's" family in the United States owned a canning business and sent the chemicals to him via cans labled as vegetables.