Photography Collection

The British Journal of Photography reports that the Barbican Art Gallery, London, is going to exhibit some previously unseen photographs of Robert Capa, Gerda Taro and David Seymour in autumn. So the recently discovered three "Mexican Suitcases" of Robert Capa are going to reveal at least some of their secrets. It is impossible to describe the history of the luggage completely, because its traces are lost in the Second World War confusion. Capa fled from Paris after the Nazis have occupied the city and darkroom manager, Imre Weisz, apparently brought the negatives to Marseille before being arrested and deported to Algiers. What happened next to them is a mystery. They ended up in the hands of Mexican general, Francisco Aguilar Gonzales. Finally the International Center of Photography (ICP), New York, founded by Robert Capas brother Cornell negotiated with the officer concerning the rights and after all they were transferred to the Capa estate. Robert Capa has kept more than 3500 negatives of David Seymour and himself as well as some of Gerda Taro his girlfriend and companion during the Spanish Civil War in the suitcases.
One fifth of the photos have been scanned at the ICP. "The suitcase holds major stories from all three photographers," says a spokesman. Experts have found Seymour's images of the Basque clergy taken in January 1937, and of refugees in Barcelona in late 1936. Taro's images depict General Lukacs' funeral in June 1937. As for Capa, the ICP has found photos from March 1939 of French internment camps for Republican refugees. "We're hoping to get some of the works from the Mexican Suitcase, says a spokeswoman of the Barbican Art Gallery. "We don't know how much and what we will get yet. As they are still working on the suitcases, we will see what is available and ready to be used." The exhibition in London will be the first to present photos from the suitcases from 17 October until 25 january 2009

What has been discovered so far?

By David Seymour
The woman nursing a baby in Estremadura, May 1936
Images of the Basque clergy, January 1937
Refugees in Barcelona, late 1936.

By Gerda Taro
The funeral of General Lukacs, June 1937
La Granjuela, June 1937
Valencia, March 1937
Brunete, July 1937

By Robert Capa
Teruel, December 1937-January 1938
Rio Segre, November 1938
Barcelona, January 1939
French internment camps, March 1939