Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/20

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Robert Capa Photo
From: "Alan Hull" <hull@telia.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 13:14:41 +0200

From Sal DiMarco Jr. 
The Famous Robert Capa photo of the Spanish Loyalist falling at the
moment of death was made with a Leica.
- -----------------------

I have always been fascinated by that photo because to me it screamed
FAKE.  I cannot see how anybody can have reactions quick enough to have
captured that image unless he was taking a portrait of the soldier and
at the instant the shutter was pressed the poor guy took a bullet in
the chest.  This is my opinion not of a photographer but as an
ex-soldier.

A few years ago, when Eric Welch was anchorman of the LUG, someone
wrote that he had actually seen the roll of film that Capa sent to the
Times(?).  Apparantly the roll was full of various arrangements of the
theme with the same soldier posing and falling.  The Times(?) selected
the best of the bunch.

Eric (an ethical PJ) suppressed further discussion in his usual way, so
the issue was never resolved.  Anybody posting in that thread was made
to feel as though he was pissing on his grandmothers grave.

Is this story of the negatives a modern fairy tale?

Alan

Replies: Reply from "Kam Cheung" <kamm@netvigator.com> (Re: [Leica] Robert Capa Photo)
Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Robert Capa Photo)
Reply from "Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@hotmail.com> (Re: [Leica] Robert Capa Photo)