MAGNUM PHOTOS

Magnum Photos is a independent photo agency and a agency for photographers. It was founded on April 29 in 1947 by the four photographers Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, David 'Chim' Seymour and George Rodger in Paris. The trigger for the founding of the agency was the wish, to save the rights of the own photos against the big magazines and agencies.

The agency was brought to life with the aim, to be a agency, in which photographers can be independent.

For them independence means not to be under the whims of magazines and other reporters. So should no photographer for example have to report in haste about the sinai-war, if he would rather report for several months about the sheep breeding in New Zealand.

But to be a photographer, is not harmless. Robert Capa, the first president of Magnum Photos died during one of his photo reportages in Indochina in 1954 by stepping on a mine. Also David Seymore, another founding member of the agency, died 1956 during one of his expeditions in Egypt by a rifle shot.

Current situation

Currently Magnum has ca. 40 members and 16 correspondents with branches in Paris, London, New York and Tokio

Click here to get to the official website ofMagnum Photos.