Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/12/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Robert Capa was the quintessential combat photographer. His beach shots of D-Day, however, were improperly developed in London at the Time-Life Burea there and so what we have is only a shard of what he actually photographed. The blame was immediately assigned to one Larry Burrows, albeit he was then only aetate 15 and working as a "tea-boy" (USian translation: a GOFER) and was not entrusted with anything such as development of Important Film. (That Larry Burrows was permitted to process this film is a myth carried over even unto the recent Capa biography, BLOOD AND CHAMPAGNE by Alex Kershaw.) Burrows did go on to establish quite a reputation as a capable photographer and ended his life, as had Capa, in Viet-Nam, dieing in a tragic incident in 1968. My wife courteously (after REALLY strong hints) gifted me this Christmas with Leslie Klinger's NEW ANNOTATED SHERLOCK HOLMES. Reading this caused me to turn to the text of A STUDY IN SCARLET (yet to be annotated in the forthcoming third volume, a most distressing manner of release) in Morley's Doubleday edition of THE COMPLETE SHERLOCK HOLMES. On the back cover of this edition is a picture of the recreated lair at 221B Baker Street in London and who has the photo credit but the late and very lamented Larry Burrows! The picture probably dates from around 1964 or so. Ex altis sub decensum averni, indeed! Burrows was a wonderful photographer who was only coming into his abilities when he was killed. It is sad to contemplate the lost years but, then, it is wonderful to find a rather mundane picture shot by him in more pleasant times. Marc msmall@infionline.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!