Sunday, November 24, 2013

Magnum 50 years at the front line of history (iv)

(Previous chapters herehere and here. Project started July 14, 2011)


Chapter 4. The Recruits

"During the dinner that night Capa congratulated Haas on becoming a member of the agency. 'But what does that mean?' Haas enquired nervously. 'It means,' Capa replied breezily, 'that your money is in Magnum, that Magnum is a non-profit company, and that you'll never see your money again.' "

"When he was in Paris Capa stayed just round the corner from the Magnum office at Hotel Lancaster, where the concierge gave him tips for the races at Longchamps. Although he remained the inspiration and driving force of Magnum, he hated to spend time in the office."

"Erich Lessing, an Austrian photographer working for Associated Press, was recruited in Paris by Chim, bringing the total number of Magnum photographers to ten."

"At first Capa did not seem in the least daunted by the prospect of organising assignments for nine other photographers, coaxing the best work out of them, chastising them when stories were not up to standard, fighting for their rights when editors misbehaved."

" 'Paris was our base, a beloved city. We could live as cheaply as we pleased, slum it or go to the most chic parties as Capa's friends, or on our own, as our work began to open doors. Every so often, generous, nice people like Irwin Shaw, businessman Art Stanton, or film director Tola Litvak passed through Paris and invited a group of us to dinner at an expensive restaurant.' "





You can buy this book at amazon.


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