New book recognizes 2 pioneers of war photography

WASHINGTON 鈥� It鈥檚 simple to access news and photographs from around the world today. But in the 1930s, the photographs by Robert Capa and Gerda Taro helped communicate impressive sights聽from the Spanish Civil War and lay the groundwork for future war reporting.

Considered some of the first to depict modern warfare, Capa and Taro brought a human face to war. 聽It鈥檚 the subject of a new book, 鈥淓yes of the World: Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and the Invention of Modern Photojournalism鈥� by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos.

Line of refugees with their belongings on the road from Barcelona to the French border], January 25, 1939
漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos — Robert Capa photo: line of refugees with their belongings on the road from Barcelona to the French border, Jan. 25, 1939. 漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos聽 (漏Robert Capa 漏 International C/Robert Capa 漏 International Cen)

Robert Capa, [European immigrants gathered on the railing of a boat arriving in port, Haifa, Israel], May-June 1949
漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos — Robert Capa photo:聽European immigrants gathered on the railing of a boat arriving in port, Haifa, Israel, May鈥揓une 1949. 漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos聽 (漏Robert Capa 漏 International C/Robert Capa 漏 International Cen)

Gerda Taro, [Republican militiawoman training on the beach, outside Barcelona], August 1936
漏Gerda Taro, Courtesy International Center of Photography — Gerda Taro photo: Republican militia woman training on the beach, outside Barcelona, August 1936. 漏Gerda Taro, Courtesy International Center of Photography (漏Gerda Taro 漏 International Ce/Gerda Taro 漏 International Cent)

Robert Capa, [Farewell ceremony for the International Brigades, Les Masies, Spain], October 25, 1938
漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos — Robert Capa photo: farewell ceremony for the International Brigades, Les Masies, Spain, Oct. 25, 1938. 漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos聽 (漏Robert Capa 漏 International C/Robert Capa 漏 International Cen)

Robert Capa photo: Fascist officer or policeman questioned by Loyalist officer, August鈥揝eptember 1936. 漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos聽 (漏Robert Capa 漏 International C/Robert Capa 漏 International Cen)

Robert Capa photo: interior of rubble-filled church, Normandy, France, June鈥揓uly 1944. 漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos聽聽 (漏Robert Capa 漏 International C/Robert Capa 漏 International Cen)

Robert Capa, [American troops landing on Omaha Beach, D-Day, Normandy, France], June 6th, 1944
漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos — Robert Capa photo:聽American troops landing on Omaha Beach, D-Day, Normandy, France, June 6, 1944. 漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos (漏Robert Capa 漏 International C/Robert Capa 漏 International Cen)

Robert Capa, [Using the hood of a jeep as an altar, a Roman Catholic chaplain saying mass at the inauguration of an American cemetery, Omaha Beach, Normandy], June 1944
漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos — Robert Capa photo: Using the hood of a jeep as an altar, a Roman Catholic chaplain celebrates mass at the inauguration of an American cemetery, Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, June 1944. 漏International Center of Photography/Magnum Photos聽 (漏Robert Capa 漏 International C/Robert Capa 漏 International Cen)

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鈥淲hat they did in going out to be, as the title of the book says, the 鈥榚yes of the world鈥� to try to capture for everyone these moments of tragedy, of passion, of pain, of triumph and to share them and to be in this way this visual reporter is a heroic profession,鈥� Aronson said.

The couple used 33 mm cameras 鈥斅燼 piece of technology that had a profound impact on the war and journalism, Budhos said.

鈥淭hese have fast shutter speeds. They were light. They were palm-sized,鈥� Aronson said, adding that the young couple was quick to adapt to the new tool and make a living from it.

Budhos and Aronson said they were inspired to write about the couple that loved and died on the front line because they were true equals.

鈥淲hat we learned was that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro were true collaborators 鈥斅燼rtistic equals. They were equals as lovers, as partners, as thinkers 鈥斅爄t really appealed to me to have us together write about another couple that functioned together in the arts,鈥� Aronson said.

海角精品黑料’s Dimitri Sotis contributed to this report.