Magnum Photos, Inc.

[Gary R. Smith]

In conjunction with my initiation into two years of Aperture Magazine, I decided that I needed more information on Magnum Photos. Started in May of 1947 by (among a few others) Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson (names I suspect you recognize) the purpose seems to have been to act as an agency for these folks to pool their ability to sell their work. Over the years it has grown and is (apparently) by invitation only. I'm not sure who they are selling to these days with the amount of material posted online (free for the taking right?). In any event, I purchased 11 pounds of printed material (so you don't have to) to see what the hub-bub is all about. To my eyes the collected material seems to me to be opportunistic photographs of interest to news organizations and really has nothing to recommend it photographically. Just my opinion after browsing these two tomes: Magnum Magnum and Magnum Manifesto.

Interested in your exposure to and understanding of Magnum Photos, Inc. and why they're supposedly so significant.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, you couldn't get two better co-founders. Hard act to follow!

 

[Gary R. Smith]

Well, you couldn't get two better co-founders

Very true, but aside from Capa's D-Day beach shots what else of his work are you familiar with? At least HBC shot familiar scenes. Based on the photos in the 2 books I just got, I go to an exhibit of Magnum Photos that was presented in Portland.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

There’s that little-known edition of Capa’s “Men In Tights” photos. He wasn’t all-butch, you know. True. Look it up.

 

[Brian Moore]

Very true, but aside from Capa's D-Day beach shots what else of his work are you familiar with?

"Falling Soldier" springs quickly to mind.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

@Gary R. Smith, like you, I am not familiar with the photographers who are currently members of Magnum Photos, but perhaps that is because I am not up-to-date enough or perhaps because they are not yet as famous as those who preceded them. Our memories - I am not saying of photographers, but of mere spectators of this world - are so rich in the iconic images that came out of that cooperative of independent photographers and photojournalists that I can hardly visualise the history of the last century without having their pictures in the back of my brain.
A nice list of each and every one can be found on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnum_Photos#Member_list

 

[Gary R. Smith]

A nice list of each and every one can be found on Wikipedia

As well as inside both of the books I recently received.

I'm not saying these photographers didn't take photos that we've all seen. I just don't think many of us would have a journalist photographer's photos enlarged to hang in our living room.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

Agree me to disagree...

 

[Gary R. Smith]

"Falling Soldier" springs quickly to mind

I've seen it. It wouldn't spring quickly to my mind and I certainly wouldn't have it enlarged and framed to hang on my wall.

Brian, you are certainly more attuned to the works of others than I am.

 

[Brian Moore]

I've seen it. It wouldn't spring quickly to my mind and I certainly would have it enlarged and framed to hang on my wall.

Brian, you are certainly more attuned to the works of others than I am.

For what it's worth, beyond Falling Soldier (and the D-Day images you mentioned) I'd have to look through his work for stuff of his I recognize as having seen.