peterm1
Veteran
Capa and Gerda were lovers and she was his muse. And yes it was Gerda Taro (to use the name she adopted) who encouraged him to adopt the name Robert Capa. Cleverly they found that when dealing with newspapers and agencies if she was selling his and her pictures they paid them a pittance but if she told them that this was the work of the great war photographer Robert Capa" she could demand a higher price. I think quite a few of Taro's pictures were credited as Capa's for this very reason. But this - the great war photographer, is the person that Capa grew into being.
When she was killed-accidentally being run over by a tank in the Spanish Civil War he was heart broken even though (or perhaps because) their relationship was complicated. I had the distinct impression that Capa was the pursuer of Taro not the other way around. I often think that this is part of the reason Capa became the man he did - a devil may care ladies man who could never settle down with one woman because he could never replace her. Maybe that's a bit fanciful but there is more than an element of truth in it and I think her early death is also a reason why he later adopted the policy of, if not seeking his own death, at least being blase about it.
Both were Jews, he from Hungary - she from Poland and I think they met in Paris. I cant say if or how much this affected their work but what does seem clear is that both supported the Republicans against Franco's crew in the Spanish War.
I have a few books on them - biography and photo books. One of the better ones is "Blood and Champagne" which just about sums up Capa's professional life. This reminds me I have not read them for a few years. I should get them out and read them closely once more.
One reason I relate to him is that my dad was from Budapest (although of a younger generation than Capa). Like Capa he had Jewish ancestry and if truth be told was also bit of a ladies man. What a "mensch" they both were. Real old fashioned men - but obviously not without their flaws.
Another story about Capa I like is one in which Henri Cartier Bresson was asked about Capa's role at Magnum. He responded (a little sniffily) "We go out and make the money - he spends it." But it was essentially true as Capa loved nothing more than to use the firms revenue for his own personal uses even though it was a collaborative effort. I gain the impression that much of the expenditure was spent on living up to the name of the firm Magnum as buying Magnums of fine French champagne was one of his favourite purchases.
When she was killed-accidentally being run over by a tank in the Spanish Civil War he was heart broken even though (or perhaps because) their relationship was complicated. I had the distinct impression that Capa was the pursuer of Taro not the other way around. I often think that this is part of the reason Capa became the man he did - a devil may care ladies man who could never settle down with one woman because he could never replace her. Maybe that's a bit fanciful but there is more than an element of truth in it and I think her early death is also a reason why he later adopted the policy of, if not seeking his own death, at least being blase about it.
Both were Jews, he from Hungary - she from Poland and I think they met in Paris. I cant say if or how much this affected their work but what does seem clear is that both supported the Republicans against Franco's crew in the Spanish War.
I have a few books on them - biography and photo books. One of the better ones is "Blood and Champagne" which just about sums up Capa's professional life. This reminds me I have not read them for a few years. I should get them out and read them closely once more.
One reason I relate to him is that my dad was from Budapest (although of a younger generation than Capa). Like Capa he had Jewish ancestry and if truth be told was also bit of a ladies man. What a "mensch" they both were. Real old fashioned men - but obviously not without their flaws.
Another story about Capa I like is one in which Henri Cartier Bresson was asked about Capa's role at Magnum. He responded (a little sniffily) "We go out and make the money - he spends it." But it was essentially true as Capa loved nothing more than to use the firms revenue for his own personal uses even though it was a collaborative effort. I gain the impression that much of the expenditure was spent on living up to the name of the firm Magnum as buying Magnums of fine French champagne was one of his favourite purchases.
