A Journey in a Suitcase

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Either with magnifying glass in hand or torso bent curiously forward, visitors of “The “Mexican Suitcase” examined the negatives of the Spanish Civil War taken by Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, Chim, and Fred Stein.  Their work depicts the condition of war as it is: no embellishment, just the human condition in war.  With advances in photography, photojournalists were able to take action shots to document history and reveal a human element not often seen in the media.

Walking through the exhibit was like walking through certain fronts and battlefields; one could experience the history.  From Basque Country to Catalonia, one is exposed to the realities of war; the documentation of the Spanish Civil War was one of the first “media wars” as journalists and photographers wanted to use their work to support their side.  Through magazines of the time such as Regards, Ce Soir, Vu, Life, and Look, the photographers were able share their images and influence the Western world’s perception of the war.

These magazines, displayed at the exhibit reveal the choices the photographers made in what they wanted to portray.  It was interesting to read the captions they chose as well.  The images I found most engaging were not those on the war front, but those of civilians.  With photography, we are able to see landscapes, people, and interaction as it was.  Having the negatives allows us to see what was not necessarily intended to be exhibited as such.  However, the journey of the negatives, and the importance in capturing history that the negatives hold, as well as the presentation of the negatives, make the exhibit worth visiting.