Robert Capa recently released recordings

[Michael Markey]

Recently released interviews with Capa in which he describes the circumstances behind that photo.

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/finding-a-fearless-photographers-voice/?_r=0

 

[David_Manning]

Thanks for the link 🙂

 

[Highway 61]

Fantastic and extremely moving. I am listening to it in company of my mint minus copy of "Slightly out of focus", first publishing, 1946...

Thanks a lot for this Michael.

 

[johannielscom]

Great to finally hear Capa himself tell how his most famous picture was made...

Only goes to show that sometimes luck makes all the difference in somebodies' life...

 

[DougFord]

Fascinating, thanks for posting.

 

[Vics]

I have Whelan's book around here somewhere, strangely autographed by the author, and Cornell Capa, to Lou Stoumen. I never heard, in my imagination, Capa's voice sounding like that. He has a kind of Peter Lorre thing about his voice! Interesting to hear the reference to, "my little Leica..." which I gather he gave to his plartner Gerda Taro in the late '30s in favor of the Contax II.

 

[VinceC]

Fascinating and thanks for sharing. Not at all surprised that he's someting of a fast talker ... very easy but persuasive personality, especially the clip of him making up the Capa persona.

 

[Gary Sandhu]

Thanks!
Amazing that is all we have of his voice; of such a popular man (in his time, as well) and this is all. And it's only a hundred years since he was born.

 

[back alley]

very cool!
we take so much for granted these days…tech wise and this is all we have of his voice!

 

[Sparrow]

It's hard not to be simplistic ... hero springs to my mind too easily with Capa.

Coincidently I printed some of his Spanish stuff as 6x4 postcards, they are very fresh and contemporary looking even after all these years.

 

[Highway 61]

He has a kind of Peter Lorre thing about his voice !

Aoh, yes. Very true.

What is also amusing is that at the beginning of the recording, his English is excellent, with almost no accent ; yet, after the half-time, the "Capanese" language is back, with that terrific hungarish accent...

 

[alistair.o]

Thank you Michael.

I find it both interesting and disconcerting how people are ready to discredit and that without any foundation other than "a seeking after truth" - i.e. envy 🙂

Good shout Mike.

 

[peterm1]

Aoh, yes. Very true.

What is also amusing is that at the beginning of the recording, his English is excellent, with almost no accent ; yet, after the half-time, the "Capanese" language is back, with that terrific hungarish accent...

He reminds me of my dad who was Hungarian and also of Jewish heritage like Andre Freidman (aka Robert Capa). But I must say my dad had more of a Hungarian accent after 40 years in Australia than Capa does in this recording - still nice to listen to him though. My dad was like Capa in other ways too - womaniser, loved to party, great story teller, loved good food, enjoyed people, slightly mad. Yep Hungarian! God I miss the old reprobate. I sometimes think that its because of my old man that I admire Capa so much - Real mensches, both of them.

 

[Sparrow]

Thank you Michael.

I find it both interesting and disconcerting how people are ready to discredit and that without any foundation other than "a seeking after truth" - i.e. envy 🙂

Good shout Mike.

... there's always some ignorant rationalist ready to pop-up to expound their particular 'theory' ... I've lost count of the proposed authors of Shakespeare's plays, so Capa seems to be in good company in this respect eh?

 

[Michael Markey]

Interesting isn`t it.
His version of events rings true to me.
I got the link via Herbert Piel on FB.

 

[OurManInTangier]

I wonder how many photographers would so readily admit that "probably the best picture I ever took" was taken without looking through the viewfinder and actually shot "far above my head."

I've always hoped that the rumours of staging were untrue and never heard anything to make me believe otherwise. This would, for me at least, put an end to the matter.