RE: [Leica] Family of Man II

[Dan Cardish <dcardish@microtec.net>]

If we try and compete with the original "Family of Man', we will be doomed
to failure.  Whatever we produce will not have the impact of the original,
and I don't think we should even attempt it.  Rather, we should just submit
the best that we can, and let the pieces fall where they may.

Dan C.

At 03:29 PM 12-10-00 -0400, B. D. Colen wrote:
>To continue down a track I started down yesterday...
>
>Dorothea Lange, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Edward Weston, Wayne Miller, Robert
>Doisneau, Lennart Nilsson, Bill Brandt, David Douglas Duncan, Barbara
>Morgan, Elliot Erwitt, Russell Lee, Gioni Mili, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Dmitri
>Kessel, August Sander, Carl Mydans,  Homer Page, W. Eugene Smith, Ansel
>Adams,  Robert Capa, Jack Delano, Diane Arbus,  Ruth Orkin, Burt Glinn,
>Edward Steichen, David "Chim" Syemour,  Eve Arnold, Irving Penn,  Harry
>Callahan, Ruth Orkin, Ernst Haas, Ralph Crane,   Ben  Shahn,  Robert Frank
>
>....Is there a point here? Yes....As much as I think this is a wonderful
>project, and would like to contribute to it, I think it needs some really
>serious rethinking in terms of what it is going to be and what it is going
>to mean to whom.
>1. We collectively are not "them" -see above;
>2. "They" did not gather together and set out
>over a period of time to take the photos. Rather,
>Steichen gathered at least 30 years worth of
>often iconic images from the best photographers
>in the world;
>3. One of the reason for the exhibit's - and book's  - impact is that so
>many of the images were already considered iconic and were already so
>familiar to viewers;
>4.  See Susan Sontag's discussion of The Family of Man;
>5. If this project is really going to be any thing special and have any
>impact beyond the LUG, we can't be thinking in terms of "can my wife take
>some photos with her Leica P&S." I don't say that to be a insulting, and
>hope it isn't taken that way, but this has to be the best of the best of the
>work produced by LUGers, if that's what it is. If a P&S shot by a LUGer's
>spouse falls into that catagory, great, if not...
>6. I would not limit this to photos taken with Leica equipment, but rather
>to photo's taken by LUGers who use Leica equipment. Presumably the vast
>majority of what turns up will be taken with Leicas, but there are a number
>of folks on this list who use Leicas and other equipment - and I don't just
>mean myself, but rather am refering to folks like Harrison,Steve L., etc.,
>who are among the best on the LUG.
>
>Anyway, just think of the above as a few "pearls" cast by a swine, and think
>a bit more about this project...and how we might tone down what I would
>suggest is the hubris involved at this point.
>
>P.S....And of course there are some LUGers who belong on any list like that
>up top...:-)
>
>B. D.
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Walter S
>> Delesandri
>> Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2000 10:58 AM
>> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>> Cc: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Family of Man II
>>
>>
>> , we're going
>> > to get every damn twitchy assed political correct person coming
>> down on it
>> > because the title implies it's not right according to the
>> "politically correct
>> > standards of 2000!"
>> >
>> > And I bet I'm going to get my ass flamed for this, but I've
>> reached a time in
>> > my life when I don't give a hoop! Send on the fire and
>> brimstone!  The title
>> > should stand as "Family of Man II!" and those who don't like it need not
>> > participate or take jump in the ocean!  Like I said, take yer pick!
>> >
>> > You can only satisfy some of the people some of the time,  to
>> hell with the
>> > rest! Leica's away for the Family of Man II! Damn the slings
>> and arrows full
>> > speed a head! Or something like that.
>> >
>> > ted
>> >
>> > Damn, I like this geezer more every day...I'd take him up on his l998
>> offer for a visit if he didn't live in that big cold-assed foreign
>> country....
>> Walt
>>
>>
>>
>>
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