Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sorry, Bob - Andre Friedmann was exiled from his native Hungary in 1931, and went to Germany to study journalism. And in 1933, with Hitler coming to power, he left Germany for Paris, where he met German refugee Gerda Pohorylle. According to Gerda, she suggested he change his name to Robert Capa, because there was apparently a resonably succesful American photographer named Robert Capa, and Gerda figured the name would make it easier to market Andre's work. Capa and Gerda, who changed her name to Taro, spent much time in Spain photographing the 'civil' war there. Gerda Tarodied in Spain on July 26, 1937, having been crushed between a tank and a car the day before. She and Capa were never married. I don't have time to check any of the bios right now, but those very basic facts can be found in Heart of Spain - Robert Capa's Photographs of the Spanish Civil War, in the essay by Capa biographer Richard Whelan. Best B. D. -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Thinkofcole@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 1:19 PM To: lug@leica-users.org Subject: [Leica] how Cornell Capa got his name For Phong: _http://www.photo-seminars.com/Fame/capa.htm_ (http://www.photo-seminars.com/Fame/capa.htm) In a nutshell, as explained more fully in "photo-seminars" and by John Hersey, the author, in a magazine article, "The Man Who Invented Himself,'' Cornell and his older brother, Robert, were born Friedmann in Budapest {Hungary}, Robert -- originally named Andrei -- in 1913 and Cornell five years later. When Hitler came to power, Andrei left for Paris with his wife, Gerda, where they formed a three-person company, with her as the sales representative and he as the darkroom technician. They invented a third person -- a supposely rich and famous American photographer whom they named Robert Capa, supposedly then on a visit to France. Andrei took the pictures and she sold them to French newspapers for triple the going rate because Robert Capa, who got the credit as photographer, supposedly was so rich and famous. Cornell joined the group in Paris in 1936. For more, see the citation .-- bob cole _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information