WINk Blog

Robert Capa and the Mexican Suitcase

In Gallery Gait, News on May 14, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Robert Capa, Republican soldiers in destroyed building on lookout for Nationalist soldiers, Teruel, Spain, December 1937

Robert Capa, Republican soldiers in destroyed building on lookout for Nationalist soldiers, Teruel, Spain, December 1937

 

Last year, a suitcase was found in Mexico with some 4,300 frames from the Spanish Civil War. Turns out, the negatives were shot by Robert Capa, his girlfriend Gerda Taro and wartime photographer David (Chim) Seymour.

 

Naturally, the “Mexican Suitcase” (as it is being called) was turned over to the ICP (a fitting move, given Robert’s brother Cornell founded the institution). The ICP is now hosting an online gallery of the recently (and painstakingly) scanned images.

 

Fans of Capa’s wartime and photo journalistic work might be disappointed to learn that “The Falling Soldier” wasn’t among the found frames. “The Falling Soldier” depicts a Loyalist militia man falling to the ground after allegedly being shot. Although one of the most famous war photographs of all time, its authenticity is commonly questioned. The ICP asserts it was not a staged shot.

 

  1. I love that image, “The falling Soldier”!

  2. I am wondering if ICP would make prints from those negatives in the future and have them in an exhibition …anyways,for now I am happy watching the online gallery…

  3. I second that notion of having them in an exhibition!!!