Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/12/29

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Subject: [Leica] Larry Burrows Surfaces, yet again
From: msmall at aya.yale.edu (Marc James Small)
Date: Wed Dec 29 20:40:57 2004
References: <p06001052bdf90cc486cb@gpsy.com>

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!




Replies: Reply from phong at doan-ltd.com (Phong) ([Leica] Larry Burrows Surfaces, yet again - errata)
In reply to: Message from mail at gpsy.com (Karen Nakamura) ([Leica] Re: London challenge shoot)
Message from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] Re: London challenge shoot)