The Mexican Suitcase: Cool but BYOB (Bring Your Own Background)

http://museum.icp.org/mexican_suitcase/gallery_chim.html

The brainchildren of three early war photographers have come home at last. I’m referring to the nearly 4,500 negatives that have been recovered from Mexico City, the photos that captured the scene of the Spanish Civil War, now on display at ICP. The proud parents are Robert Capa, Chim (David Seymour), and Gerda Taro, Eastern Europeans who based themselves in Paris in the 1930s.

The Mexican Suitcase exhibit features war photography in its earliest, and perhaps purest, form. A keen observer might notice the tiny block letters on the rolls of film that spell out “Eastman Kodak.” Perhaps the most striking characteristic of these early Kodak prints is their candidacy: the subjects’ sad, unknowing eyes and worried expressions are very telling of the reality of Spain at the time. Negatives, original contact sheets, and newspaper clippings dotting the walls of ICP highlight the progression of this up-and-coming field. Maybe the 30’s was the Golden Age of war photography?

I was struck by the fact that the coverage of the Spanish Civil War was done by foreigners. Photographers Taro, Capo, and pseudonymous Chim, who exposed the harsh truths of the Spanish Civil War, were all intellectuals who fled Eastern Europe to align themselves with leftist groups in the cultural hobnob of Paris. The demand for their work, sadly, was short-lived; the rise of Nazi power put an abrupt end to anti-fascist, pro-Communist publications. But during their high point, these powerful photographs surfaced all over France and the United States, and were instrumental in shaping the public’s view on the war.

As an example, Samuel Schneiderman of Warsaw, Poland used Chim’s photos to complement a Yiddish commentary he wrote on the goings-on of the war. Chim’s photos also appeared in the French newspaper Regards, which, in one image, cast the spotlight on the internment camps in France, where Spanish refugees were being held.

Thankfully, Chim, Taro, and Capa enjoy posthumous recognition for their work vis-à-vis The Mexican Suitcase. As an exhibit, though, you really need to bring along your own interest in this historical time period. That is not to say that The Mexican Suitcase is not one of the most interesting historical mysteries unraveled. Just a friendly suggestion: come equipped with a background of the political landscape in the 30’s if you want to fully appreciate the exhibit.