Magnum Photos

Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in Paris, New York City and London. It was founded in 1947 in Paris by photographers Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, Maria Eisner, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, William Vandivert, and Rita Vandivert. Its photographers retain all copyrights to their own work.

In 2010, MSD Capital acquired a collection of nearly 200,000 original press prints of images taken by Magnum photographers, which in 2013 it donated to the Harry Ransom Center.

Founding of agency

Magnum was founded in Paris in 1947 by Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and William Vandivert (all photographers), Rita Vandivert and Maria Eisner, based on an idea of Capa's. (Seymour, Cartier-Bresson and Rodger were all absent from the meeting at which it was founded. In response to a letter telling him that he was a member, Rodger wrote that Magnum seemed a good idea but, "It all sounded too halcyon to be true," when Capa had told him of it and, "I rather dismissed the whole thing from my mind".)

Rita Vandivert was the cooperative's first president and head of the New York office, while Maria Eisner headed the Paris office. The plan was for Rodger to cover Africa and the Middle East; Cartier-Bresson to cover south and east Asia; Seymour and William Vandivert to cover Europe and the United States, respectively; and Capa to be free to follow his curiosity and events. Russell Miller writes:

<blockquote>It was . . . presumably agreed by those present [at the first meeting] that Magnum was a fine new name for such a bold new venture, indicative as it was of greatness in its literal Latin translation, toughness in its gun connotation and celebration in its champagne mode.</blockquote>

thumb|right|Boy destroying piano at Pant-y-Waen, South Wales, by [[Philip Jones Griffiths, 1961]]

Governance

Magnum is owned by its photographers, who act as shareholders. Each full member of Magnum has a vote in proposals made at a meeting held once a year, called the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Elections of new members

thumb|Interview with [[Abbas (photographer)|Abbas about Magnum]]

In the early years of Magnum, membership had generally come about by the personal invitation of Robert Capa. However, in 1955 a three-stage membership system was set up that continues to this day and is described below. Until 1953 there were also a large number of stringers who used Magnum but were not members.

Magnum's photographers meet once a year, during the last weekend in June, in New York City, Paris or London, to discuss the cooperative's business. One day of the meeting is reserved to review potential new members' portfolios and vote on admitting individuals. An approved applicant is invited to become a 'Nominee Member' of Magnum, a category of membership that provides a chance for members and the individual to get to know each other, but that includes no binding commitments on either side.

After two years of Nominee membership, a photographer may present another portfolio if wanting to apply for 'Associate Membership'. If successful, the photographer is bound by the rules of the agency, and enjoys its facilities and worldwide representation. The difference between an Associate Member and a full Member is that an Associate is not a Director of the Company and does not have voting rights in the corporate decision-making. After two more years, an Associate wanting to be considered for full membership presents another portfolio of work for consideration by the members. Once elected as a full member, the individual is a member of Magnum for life or for as long as the photographer chooses.

Accusations of child abuse

Magnum Photos' digital archive constitutes more than 1 million images, which Magnum licenses through its website. In August 2020, the Magnum website was taken offline after issues were raised by the Fstoppers photography website and amplified on social media by others including Jörg Colberg. Given the tags on the photos, there was concern that Magnum was making available photographs of children featuring nudity; that documented encounters that constituted a record of acts of child sexual abuse; and that were problematic in terms of the way they had been labelled for searching. In a statement Magnum said it will re-examine the content of its archive, and has since made its website available again but without Harvey's Bangkok series. Harvey was later suspended for a year following a formal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him. In September 2013 it was announced MSD Capital donated the collection to the Ransom Center. A preliminary inventory is available for researchers who wish to use the collection.

Graduate Photographers Award

The Graduate Photographers Award was established in 2015.

Member list

{|class="toccolours sortable" style="font-size: 95%" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse"

! Name

! Nationality

! Status

! Active years

! Note

| Abbas Attar

| Iran

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1981–2018

| Nominee from 1981; Full Member from 1985

|William Keo

|France

| bgcolor="#99cc99" | Withdrawn

|Antoine d'Agata

|France

|Active (full Member)

|2004–

|Khalik Allah

|United States

| bgcolor="#99cc99" | Withdrawn

| Christopher Anderson

| United States

| bgcolor="#99cc99" | Withdrawn

| Ansel Adams

| United States

| bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| Nonmember correspondent 1956 Member from 1957 First female Member.

| Olivia Arthur

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 2008–

| Nominee from 2008, associate from 2011, and full member from 2013.

| Micha Bar-Am

| Israel

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (Correspondent)

| 1968–

| Correspondent from 1968

| Bruno Barbey

| France

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1964– 2020

| Member from 1968.

| Ian Berry

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 1967–

|Member from 1962.

| Werner Bischof

| Switzerland

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1948–1954

| Associate member from 1948, full member from 1949

| Matt Black

| United States

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (Full member)

| Brian Brake

| New Zealand

|bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 1957–1966

| René Burri

| Switzerland

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1955

|Enri Canaj

|Albania

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"|Active (Associate) Brother of Robert

| Robert Capa

| Hungary / United States

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1947–1954

| Founding member

| Henri Cartier-Bresson

| France

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1947–2004

| Founding member; Contributor from 1966

| Member from 2001

| Member from 1959

| Member from 1994

| Bieke Depoorter

|Belgium

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 2012–

| Carolyn Drake

| United States

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (Full member)

| 2015–

| Nikos Economopoulos

| Greece

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 1990–

| Member from 1994

| Elliott Erwitt

| France / United States

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1953–2023

| Member from 1954

| Member from 1983

| Member from 1990.–2006

| Member from 1972

|Paul Fusco

|United States

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"|Deceased

|1974–2020

|Member from 1974

| Cristina García Rodero

| Spain

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 2005–

| Member from 2009

| Member from 1986

| Member from 2002–2008

| Associate Member from 1951;

| Member from 2006

| Harry Gruyaert

| Belgium

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (Contributor)

| 1981–

| Member from 1986

| Ernst Haas

| Austria

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1950

| Philippe Halsman

| Russia (Latvia) / United States

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1951–1979

| Contributing member from 1956

| Charles Harbutt

| United States

|bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 1964–1981–1999

| Member from 1952 Magnum voted to remove him as a member and he resigned in 2021 before the board had their final meeting regarding the matter.

| Nanna Heitmann

| Germany/Russia

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

|2019–

| Nominee from 2019

| Bob Henriques

| United States

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"|Deceased

| 1957–1961 (circa)

| Tim Hetherington

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 2011

| Posthumous acceptance; Hetherington was preparing to apply to Magnum at the time of his death.

| Abigail Heyman

| United States

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1970s;

| Thomas Hoepker

| Germany

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1964–2024

| Member from 1989; president 2003–2006. Associate member from 2018; full member from 2020

| David Hurn

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 1965–

| Associate Member from 1965; Member from 1967

|Sakir Khader

|Netherlands / Palestine

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (Nominee)

|2024–

|Nominee since 2024.

| Josef Koudelka

| Czech Republic

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (Contributor)

| 1971

| Kent Klich

| Sweden

|bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 1998–2002

| Hiroji Kubota

| Japan

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 1971–

| Associate Member from 1971; Member from 1989.

| Dorothea Lange

| United States

| bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| Nonmember correspondent 1956

| Russell Lee

| United States

| bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| Nonmember correspondent 1956

| Member from 1977. 2018

| Member from 1955; later Contributor

| Paul Lowe

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1998

| Danny Lyon

| United States

|bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 1966–1968

| Member from 2001.

| Member from 1965.

| Peter Marlow

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1986–2016

| Member from 1986 to his death in 2016.

| Fred Mayer

| Switzerland

|bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 1967 – 2009

| Don McCullin

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 1968–1969

| Susan Meiselas

| United States

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 1976–

| Member from 1980.

| Rafał Milach

| Poland

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 2018–

|Nominee from 2018

| Inge Morath

| Austria

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1953–2002

| Member from 1955.

| Member from 2007.

| Martin Parr

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1988–2025

| Member from 1994.

| Nominee from 2001; Member from 2005.

| As of 2010, a Contributor.

| Member from 1994.

| Member from 2007.

| George Rodger

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1947–1995

| Founding member; Contributor from 1970

| 2010–

| Nominee member from 2010; full member from 2014

| Alessandra Sanguinetti

| United States / Argentina

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 2007–

| Lise Sarfati

| France

|bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 1997–

| Ferdinando Scianna

| Italy

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (Contributor)

| 1982–

| Member from 1989

| Jérôme Sessini

| France

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 2012–

| David Seymour

| Poland, France, United States

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1947–1956

| Founding member

| Marilyn Silverstone

| United States / Nepal

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1964–

| Associate Member from 1964, Full Member from 1967, Contributor from 1975

| W. Eugene Smith

| United States

| bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 1957

| Deceased

| Lindokuhle Sobekwa

| South Africa

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (Associate)

| 2018–

|Nominee from 2018

| Chris Steele-Perkins

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 1979–

| Nominee from 1979; Associate Member from 1981; Member from 1983

| Dennis Stock

| United States

|bgcolor="#aaaaaa"| Deceased

| 1951–2009

| Associate Member from 1951; Member from 1957

| Matt Stuart

| United Kingdom

| bgcolor="#ddffdd" | Withdrawn

| 2016–2018

| Nominee Member from 2016

| 1979–1980 President–1948

| Founding member

| Belgium

|bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 1993–2007

| Member from 1997

| Alex Webb

| United States

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Active (full Member)

| 1976–

| Singapore

|bgcolor="#99cc99"| Withdrawn

| 2005–2011

| Donovan Wylie

| United Kingdom

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Withdrawn

| 1992–2017

| Member from 1997

| Sim Chi Yin

| Singapore

|bgcolor="#ddffdd"| Withdrawn

| 2018–

|Nominee from 2018

Compact flexibound edition. London: Thames & Hudson, 2009, 2010. .
Pop Sixties by Magnum Photos. New York, NY: Abrams, 2008. .
Reading Magnum: A Visual Archive of the Modern World, edited by Steven Hoelscher. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2013. .
Magnum Analog Recovery. Paris: Le Bal, 2017. Edited by Diane Dufour, Pierre Haurquet and Anna Planas. English () and French editions.
Magnum Manifesto. London: Thames and Hudson, 2017. . English, French and Italian editions.
Euro Visions. Paris: Steidl/Magnum in Partnership with the Centre Pompidou, 2006. . English.
Georgian Spring: A Magnum Journal. London: Chris Boot in Partnership with the Georgian Ministry of Culture, 2009. . English and Georgian editions.
Magnum Cycling. London: Thames & Hudson, 2016. With text by Guy Andrews. . English.
Paris: Magnum. Flammarion, 2014. . English and French editions.
Women Changing India. University of Chicago Press, in Partnership with BNP Paribas, 2013. . English.
Magnum Chronicles 01: a Brief Visual History in the Time of ISIS. Magnum, 2018. Newspaper format. Text in English and Arabic.
Magnum Streetwise: the ultimate collection of street photography from Magnum Photos. London; New York: Thames & Hudson, 2019. Edited by Stephen McLaren. Photographs from various Magnum photographers. .

Founding of agency

Governance

Elections of new members

Accusations of child abuse

Graduate Photographers Award

Member list

See also

References

Further reading

External links