Robert Capa article.

[Guest]

Well since the boy used one of these cameras, I am posting this here.
Certainly surprised me, hope you enjoy it, you may well be surprised as I was with its content.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210311-the-daring-love-story-that-changed-photography-for-ever

 

[Pablito]

What a slick little film. Sure they were great and Taro deserves more credit but come on, not a mention of all the controversy around Capa's staging of the falling soldier photo, or the controversy over the D-day images. Well....

 

[xasthur]

What a slick little film. Sure they were great and Taro deserves more credit but come on, not a mention of all the controversy around Capa's staging of the falling soldier photo, or the controversy over the D-day images. Well....

I was surprised by this as well. I'm not super well versed on if they were actually proven staged? Either way pretty cool story but I also feel like a ton of stuff is left out. Then again maybe they were only limited to a 6 minute video.

 

[Highway 61]

Well since the boy used one of these cameras, I am posting this here.

"The boy" never used any Leica M film camera. He died on war assignment (05/02/1954) just before the first M model came out. When he was blown out by the landmine which killed him he had a Contax IIa and a Nikon S with him.

Very poor gossip video anyway. There is some very serious material about them elsewhere, fortunately.

 

[Nitroplait]

I have seen photos of him with a Leica III at some point, or maybe he borrowed Gerda Taro's Leica camera? He is also depicted with a Rolleiflex around his neck at times.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

He is also depicted with a Rolleiflex around his neck at times.

There are various images of him in paratrooper kit from World War 2 in which he holds a Rolleiflex Standard in some and one of the early Rolleiflex Automats (RF111A or K4B?) in others.

 

[leicapixie]

Rolleis and other 6x6 cameras were used by many photographers of that time. Eugene Smith used Rollei for most of "Spanish Village" for Life magazine.. No surprise!
I love folks who have never come close to combat stating "staged".
How sad. We all have seen many images of war, some only privately as no news media would ever publish them.. Some photographers have censored their images as these don't portray images as we would want, of a subject..

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I agree that the gossip videos are ridiculous, but this one is done in a respectful way. People will do anything to survive, especially in the face of incredible tyranny.
As for the judgement on combat, I've said this a few times here, and I'll say it again, Capa was there, on the beach, on that day, so if he only got one photo that's fantastic. Just getting into a Higgins boat that day would have taken an unfathomable amount of courage.

Phil Forrest

 

[Highway 61]

I have seen photos of him with a Leica III at some point, or maybe he borrowed Gerda Taro's Leica camera? He is also depicted with a Rolleiflex around his neck at times.

I yet have to see those rumoured photos of him with a Leica III. In spite of owning many books about him, including the original 1946 edition of his "Slightly out of focus" in which the historical truth is deliciously romanced, the closest I have come to, re. Capa having used a Leica, is the caption of his famous photo of Leon Trotsky in Copenhagen in 1932, often said (by mistake, see below) to have been taken with a Leica III. A full series actually. Contact sheet :

©Robert Capa/ICP/Magnum Photos

But - no picture of him with the camera. And the camera was a Leica II, not a III. That black Leica II was put at auction by Westlicht on 11/24/2012 (s/n 90023 with nickel finish Elmar 5cm f/3.5) and sold for 78,000 euros.
The known photos of what is said to be his second Leica, a chrome III with a Summar 5cm f/2, are photos of Gerda Taro using it after he passed it on her after he began using a Contax II.

All the photos of Capa sporting a camera which have come to us show him with a Contax II, a Rolleiflex, a Contax IIa, a Nikon S, a 16mm movie camera, and Linhof & Speed Graphic LF cameras. This is not to say he never used a Leica, because he did actually, until 1937 probably, but, strangely enough, we don't have photos of him using it. Actually when he was still using his Leica II (and, a bit later, his chrome Leica III) he was still the anonymous Endre Ernö Friedmann, not yet the famous Robert Capa : nobody wanted to take a picture of him at that point. His own girlfriend still was the anonymous Gerta Pohorylle, not the famous Gerda Taro.

Here you can listen to the only recording of Capa's voice, in the NBC broadcast "Hi! Jinx" (1947) :

https://www.icp.org/news/robert-capa-1947-radio-interview

 

[Erik van Straten]

It is very unlikely that these pictures are made with a Leica III. The Leica III with the lowest number is No 108 651 (1933).


Erik.

 

[Nitroplait]

I have seen photos of him with a Leica III at some point, or maybe he borrowed Gerda Taro's Leica camera? He is also depicted with a Rolleiflex around his neck at times.

I yet have to see those rumoured photos of him with a Leica III...

But - no picture of him with the camera....

All the photos of Capa sporting a camera which have come to us show him with a Contax II, a Rolleiflex, a Contax IIa, a Nikon S, a 16mm movie camera, and Linhof & Speed Graphic LF cameras. This is not to say he never used a Leica, because he did actually, until 1937 probably, but, strangely enough, we don't have photos of him using it. ....

@Highway 61 You are most likely correct. This may well be a figment of my imagination. I certainly don't recall where I saw it and a google search does not supply any photographic evidence of that.

 

[Highway 61]

In that 1947 radio interview, the way he explains how he became the famous Bob Capa and then first "snaked" the French press editors, who hadn't paid enough for his previous photos, by sending them pictures taken "with his little Leica", with the "Photo Robert Capa" sticker on them, is quite hilarious.

It is very unlikely that these pictures are made with a Leica III. The Leica III with the lowest number is No 108 651 (1933).

QOD.

This may well be a figment of my imagination. I certainly don't recall where I saw it and a google search does not supply any photographic evidence of that.

You must have thought of the photo showing Gerda Taro using the chrome Leica III in Guadalajara, Spain (July 1937).

 

[Nitroplait]

With reference to controversies etc. I think it is important to keep in mind that Capa was very much aware of the value of his "brand".
Without diminishing the risks he exposed himself to in the Spanish war or on Omaha beach or elsewhere, it is important to point out, that he likely exaggerated his own bravery just as he designed his own persona through name changes and exaggerations in his autobiography.

He arrived at Omaha beach in one of the last waves at the most "peaceful" spot.
What he documented was not combat, but the engineering troops arriving after the most lethal action, but he tried to make another story.

That he experienced exploding shells and bullets was untrue, which is clear from his own pictures as well as statements from the soldiers arriving at the beach at that time.

He was there for an extremely short time before he returned to the UK to submit his pictures to the LIFE UK editor. This is documented by film sequences recorded in the returning boat.
The "disastrous developing of the film" story is likely to be untrue, but emphasised by people with interest in supporting the "dramatic" story.

I don't really think a photographer should risk his/her life to show the horror of war, so I am OK with the fact that Capa was not directly involved. However, my opposition to the exaggerations of Capa is due to the damage I suspect he may have caused.
I think many photographers have died because they thought that it was necessary to be in the "line of fire" to be a great war photographer.

 

[Nitroplait]

...
You must have thought of the photo showing Gerda Taro using the chrome Leica III in Guadalajara, Spain (July 1937).

That is very possible. I am old.

 

[Guest]

"The boy" never used any Leica M film camera. He died on war assignment (05/02/1954) just before the first M model came out. When he was blown out by the landmine which killed him he had a Contax IIa and a Nikon S with him.

Very poor gossip video anyway. There is some very serious material about them elsewhere, fortunately.

Throwing pearls to swine.

 

[Anthony Harvey]

Many thanks James. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. It adds to what we know of Capa, a remarkable photographer and personality, and shows not only Gerda’s positive influence on him but also her own extraordinary talent as a photojournalist with great imagination and originality. Some of the photos in the film, taken by both of them, are exceptional. A brilliant short film. I enjoyed it a lot.

 

[xayraa33]

We know what cameras Capa favoured but do we know what cigarette brand he liked best?

Some say Gitanes were his preferred choice but many times he had to make do with Lucky Strikes.

 

[Guest]

We know what cameras Capa favoured but do we know what cigarette brand he liked best?

Some say Gitanes were his preferred choice but many times he had to make do with Lucky Strikes.

When I lived in England I would drive over into Europe every year on vacation and get the french cigarettes Gitanes were my favorite, the other was Gauloises. Beautiful smokes and strangely the French had a lower cancer rate than the rest of Europe.

 

[Highway 61]

Throwing pearls to swine.

Throwing poor Internet re-boiled gossip video material to people preferring the - already existing and deeply studied - real and solid historical research work, including all the mandatory controversy matter, based on first hand sources and documents.

 

[Out to Lunch]

The Capa legacy pops up, at least once a year. As long as his work is managed by family and friends, this will continue to be the case.