Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/05/29

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Subject: [Leica] from a nonsubscriber Re: Robert Capa
From: marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)
Date: Tue May 29 21:13:19 2007
References: <F6457428225624DF67BC2516@hindolveston.reid.org>

At 07:34 PM 5/25/2007, Brian Reid wrote:
 >
 >
 >---------- Forwarded Message ----------
 >Date: 25 May 2007 6:46:33pm -0400
 >From: qwhozeiss@aol.com
 >To: lug@leica-users.org
 >Subject: 25 May
 >
 >Hello all, T. Mike Fletcher here.  On this date in 1954, 25 May.
 >Robert Capa was killed when he stepped on a mine, in French
 >Indo-China.   Later to be knowen as Vietnam.  Capa was the first
 >American killed in Vietnam, and the first LIFE Magazine photographer
 >ever killed while on assigment.  I though this note would give us all
 >a reason to have a drink or two on this day.
 >
 >Later, T. Mike Fletcher-------QWhoZeiss@aol.com

Well, shuck the cornpone, lads.  I"ve been trying 
to get Mike to rise from the dead for years, with 
indefinite success.  And Brian manages to whap 
the table-cloth and Brother T Mike comes floating 
on in with a smile on his face which would never melt butter.

Mike is a professional photographer who regularly 
shoots with Leica M and R, Hasselblad, Contax 
RTS, and Rolleiflex TLR gear.  He has run the 
gamut and, as his wife owns the finest bakery in 
St Louis, his eternal happiness is 
guaranteed.  Mike was also a good friend of 
Cornell Capa, Robert's brother, a noted 
photographic manager in his own right.

Capa had dumped Leica after the Spanish Civil War 
and did most of his work thereafter with Contax 
and, later, Nikon RF's;  at the moment of his 
death by a landmine, he had a Nikon RF in front 
with a Contax in reserve and nary a Leica in 
sight.  Mike can give you the details though he 
has yet to supply me with the serial numbers off 
the Contax gear on him when he was killed, and 
there are others awaiting the Nikon 
numbers.   Capa did occasionally use a Rolleiflex 
Automat, as well, as did Mike's late and good 
friend, Carl Mydans, before Mydans switched to Nikon.

Someday, someone will make the Capas the focus of 
a proper academic study.  Spare us that Kershaw 
book, a work as weak and indugent as are Kershaw's other works.

Marc


msmall@aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!



In reply to: Message from reid at mejac.palo-alto.ca.us (Brian Reid) ([Leica] from a nonsubscriber Re: Robert Capa)