Was famous war photo staged?

Part of my teaching college/high school photojournalism courses was a history section and Robert Capa’s career was always one of my favorite lessons. He epitomized the combat photographer. Now, his famous 1936 Life magazine photograph of “Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death, Cerro Muriano, September 5, 1936” is again under attack.

As noted, this was not the first time. Researchers believe it may have been staged. They’re saying the photograph was taken 34 miles away from Cerro Muriano on the Cordobo front where no fighting was recorded to have taking place. The added scrutiny of Capa’s contact sheets place the whole scenerio in doubt.

Not to be making excuses, but maybe it was just an impulsive stunt by a 23-year-old aspiring journalist trying to make a name for himself. Maybe the rewriters of history are wrong. It’s hard not to forget that this happened 73 years ago in the Spanish Civil War, but the accumulation of evidence is certainly marring the image of who has been described as “The First Photo Journalist” and hero of mine.

His credentials following 1936 are impeccable. He documented the course of World War II, the Second Sino-Japanese War, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the first Indochina War, and died during combat at age 40 at Thai Binh in Vietnam. His photographs portrayed the violence of war with “unique impact.” He is famous to all photo journalist for saying, “If your picture isn’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” The Overseas Press Club created an award in his honor, The Robert Capa Gold Medal, that is given annually to “the best published photographic reporting from abroad, requiring exceptional courage and enterprise.”

He was born Endre Friedmann in Austria-Hungary. He fled to France because of the rise of Nazism (he was Jewish) and changed his name to Robert Capa. Interestingly, the Hungarian word for cápa is Shark.

Hopefully the debunking of his actions surrounding his Spanish Civil War photograph is just junk research.

Trivia question of the day

(Try it without Google)

The answer will be in tomorrow’s blog.

Yesterday’s Question: From what bicycle shop did Lance Armstrong’s mother purchase his first bike? Richardson Bike Mart

Today’s Trivia: According to statistics, what country has the lowest incidence of heart attacks even though 65 percent of the adult population smokes?