Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/15

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re:Capa at Omaha
From: "Michael Volow" <mvolo@duke.edu>
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 00:41:52 -0400
References: <B54558DB.52F9%jbcollier@home.com> <022201bfbed6$44528240$6474fdcc@BryanCaldwell>

- ----- Original Message -----
From: Bryan Caldwell <bcaldwell@softcom.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2000 9:21 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Re:Capa at Omaha


> John,
>
> The destruction of the negatives has been widely reported over the years,
> including in the rather complete Capa biography that was published about
15
> years ago (the author's name escapes me).

                Richard Whelan, 1985,  U. Neb Press

I've also seen, at a Magnum
> exhibition, several prints made from Capa's shots that showed obvious heat
> damage to the negative emulsions.
>
> The myth that was often told was that it was Larry Burrows who, working as
> an intern at the processing lab, was the one who destroyed the negatives.
> Burrows did work at that lab, but was not responsible.
>
> Bryan
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Collier" <jbcollier@home.com>
> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: Monday, May 15, 2000 6:33 AM
> Subject: [Leica] Re:Capa at Omaha
>
>
> > I thought that this story was used to explain the poor quality of the
negs
> > at the time, all fuzzy and blurred. It seems to me that I read an
article
> in
> > the old American Photographer that this was a myth; the negs were fuzzy
> and
> > blurred because untold tons of munitions were being directed at the
> > photographer during the scheduled shoot. I guess the Germans were a
little
> > annoyed that the art director forgot to tell the right time of the
> session.
> > Regardless of the "quality", they show us what it was like that day far
> > better than any technically superior picture could.
> >
> > John Collier
> >
> > > From: "Bryan Caldwell" <bcaldwell@softcom.net>
> > >
> > > A great deal of the "look" of Capa's D-Day pictures comes from the
fact
> that
> > > an overzealous darkroom technician left them too long in the film
dryer
> and
> > > melted the emulsions - leaving most of them unprintable. This would
have
> > > happened regardless of what camera he was using.
> > >
> >
>
>

In reply to: Message from John Collier <jbcollier@home.com> ([Leica] Re:Capa at Omaha)
Message from "Bryan Caldwell" <bcaldwell@softcom.net> (Re: [Leica] Re:Capa at Omaha)