Watch CBS News

Brooklyn Bridge Park Lawn Will Not Be Named After Photographer Hondros

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy has called off a public contest to name a lawn in the park, following a push to name the strip after slain photographer Chris Hondros, according to published reports.

The conservancy had launched a naming contest for a lawn near Pier 6 at the park. Wall Street Journal photo editor Patrick Whalen launched the campaign to name the lawn "The Chris Hondros Memorial Meadow," after the photographer who was killed in Libya two years ago.

But the conservancy said it had something like a flower or bird in mind, and decided naming the park after a specific person was not appropriate, conservancy officials said in a New York Times report. Thus, the contest was called off.

Hondros, 41, was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade while covering rebels fighting Libyan troops.

Another photojournalist, Tim Hetherington, was killed there the same day, and two others were severely injured.

Hondros, a Brooklyn resident, had covered conflict zones since the late 1990s, capturing clutching, jeering and fearful moments from wars, including Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

During his career, Hondros' photos for Getty Images have adorned hundreds of stories on CBSNewYork.com, as well as numerous other news publications and websites. Hondros had previously won the Robert Capa Gold Medal for his war photography, one of the highest honors of its kind.

Do you think the lawn should have been named after Hondros? Please leave your comments below...

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.