We’ve all heard the story: On June 6, 1944, photojournalist Robert Capa embarks on the first boats scheduled to land on Ohama beach, part of Operation Overlord, the famous D- Day. Armed only with two cameras, he lands with the first US troops under heavy Nazi fire and shoots during at least an hour and half 106 frames of GI’s as they fight their way through waves, sand and deadly bullets. He then returns to England, ships his films to LIFE magazine in London, before returning to Normandy to continue covering the war. A stressed and inexperienced lab technician overheats the processing of Capa’s films, resulting in only 11 frames surviving, most of which published in the June 19, 1944 edition of LIFE Magazine.
Since June 2014, historian AD Coleman has been publishing a series of articles explaining why most of this story is a lie. Starting from the damaged negatives story, Coleman, inspired by J. Ross Baughman‘s research, explains that it is not possible they could have been damaged the way it was explained. Suspicious, he proceeded to investigate further Capa’s narrative, with dramatic findings: Capa only shot 11 frames of the landing while staying at the most only 30 minutes on the beach. Coleman’s conclusion is that he must have panicked under the heavy deadly fire and quickly took shelter in a barge returning to England. The story we have all heard, according to Coleman, was invented by LIFE MAGAZINE’s photo editor at the time, John Morris and kept alive by Magnum and ICP ( International Center of Photography).
The research done by Coleman, Baughman and Patrick Peccatte, French expert on D-DAY photographs, is quite extensive and relies on three major pillars:
~ The timing of Capa’s stay on the beach, based on army boat schedule, witnesses, and the content on Capa’s existing frames.
– Inconsistencies in how/why the films were damaged. Capa, in a letter to his brother, first explained his films were damaged by sea water on his trip back from the beach, before changing to the official “lab damaged” story. Thorough analysis shows there is, however, little chance the film was actually damaged the way it was described
– John Morris recollection: While the legendary photo editor never changed his recollection of receiving 4 rolls of films on June 7, 1944, he seems to admit that the 11 surviving frames are the only ones Capa took on the beach.
It is not in the intention of this article to deny or confirm these allegations. Coleman’s work on this project is extensive and he has received many awards for it. It is also not the first time Capa’s work has been challenged and probably not the last. However, one can only speculate on the reasons behind such a passionate and intensive research. Fact is, Capa did land on the beaches of Ohama beach on D-Day with the first waves of soldiers and he did take those pictures. Whether he stayed 30 minutes or 2 hours is hardly relevant, besides showing that he was not as reckless as he wanted us to believe. John Morris is 98 years old. He is far from senile or incapacitated but forcing him to recollect in details events that happened 70 years ago and making him accountable for it is borderline abusive. He has a career that needs no explanations or justifications. He should be honored, not challenged.
Finally, there is saying in Italy that goes like this: “se non è vero, è ben trovato”, loosely translated to “even if it’s not true, it’s well made up”.
Capa’s Demons http://t.co/utKLqCJM7X via @melchp
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Capa’s Demons http://t.co/3ZjF2I2T2Y
Must Read: Capa’s Demons http://t.co/cUidhh9LJh
RT @theclick: Must Read: Capa’s Demons http://t.co/cUidhh9LJh
Capa’s Demons http://t.co/L9fLXUYgoF via @melchp
“Capa’s Demons – Thoughts of a Bohemian” http://t.co/yRMyk3xPqr
Capa’s Demons, by Paul Melcher (Thoughts of a Bohemian) http://t.co/4X9ZDURtR7
Capa’s Demons, by Paul Melcher (Thoughts of a Bohemian) http://t.co/4X9ZDURtR7
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Capa’s Demons – Thoughts of a Bohemian http://t.co/tNnwcTdeIy
@robertgumpert @melchp That’s the best summary of the whole sad affair that I’ve read. Thanks.
RT @melchp: Research shows that Robert Capa’s coverage of D-Day might not have been as heroic as we thought. But is important? http://t.co/…
RT @melchp: Research shows that Robert Capa’s coverage of D-Day might not have been as heroic as we thought. But is important? http://t.co/…
RT @melchp: Research shows that Robert Capa’s coverage of D-Day might not have been as heroic as we thought. But is important? http://t.co/…
It is important in that it shows all the horror on this beach that day. If a guy like Capa freaked out and left, I think it is very telling of the ordeal the soldiers went through and discovering that seventy years after is a good reminder of what DDay truly was. It is important because obviously there was a lie made out after. Whatever the reason, the story of the laborantin is obviously a fabrication. No doubt John Morris is a legend and deserves respect but if he made this up, clarification is much needed. For various reasons, it turns out that from Capa’s Spanish civil war fallen soldier to Ievgueni Khaldei’s red flag on the Reichstag to Joe Rosenthal’s Iwo Jima flag raisers, a lot of famous historical pictures were made up. Capa’s DDay shot were not, just the story behind their little number was. It needed to be told why.
Capa’s Demons – Thoughts of a Bohemian http://t.co/bARDkStKTT
RT @pedromeyer: Capa’s Demons – Thoughts of a Bohemian http://t.co/bARDkStKTT
RT @melchp: Research shows that Robert Capa’s coverage of D-Day might not have been as heroic as we thought. But is important? http://t.co/…
Capa’s Demons – Thoughts of a Bohemian http://t.co/SinxMxFNZh
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Capa’s Demons http://t.co/Ofp74IHhkE
Capa’s Demons http://t.co/Ofp74IHhkE
Fact is that he was on the beach, at D Day, taking pictures and none were altered. If there has been some romanticize narrative around how the films got to LIFE and in what shape, it doesn’t take away from this incredible photojournalistic exploit. And regardless of what he experienced on that beach, he proceeded in returning to Normandy to continue covering the war. That is what matters. Not whether the film was burned or not, not how many frames he actually took, nor how long he stayed because none alter the veracity and historical value of his pictures.
The story of the films is a lie, some of the captions in Life magazine are wrong. No one puts in doubt Capa’s courage and his talent. Searching the truth on such an important event and the only pictures we have of Omaha is of real importance, I’m sorry
The photographs are not lies. Only the story around the photographs appear to be wrong, but it doesn’t alter the veracity of the images. As for the captions, I fully agree. The research doesn’t clearly identify who was responsible for them and thus whether there was a clear intent to deceive or just mistakes made under pressure of deadlines and lack of information.
I don’t know why we’re even discussing this. Other people’s demons NOT Capa’s. #NPPA
“Capa’s Demons http://t.co/JQMDQuVtUP” via @melchp
I don’t know why we’re even discussing this. Other people’s demons NOT Capa’s. #NPPA
“Capa’s Demons http://t.co/JQMDQuVtUP” via @melchp
http://t.co/25DrVbh9XP
Debate about Capa’s work on D-Day… interesting http://t.co/9rAapomMD1