Magnum Photos

Magnum Photos
TypeCooperative
IndustryPhotography
Founded1947; 77 years ago (1947)
FounderRobert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, William Vandivert, Rita Vandivert, Maria Eisner
HeadquartersNew York City, Paris, London, Tokyo
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsPhotojournalism, stock photography
Websitewww.magnumphotos.com

Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in New York City, Paris, London and Tokyo. 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 first President, and head of the New York office; Maria Eisner the head of 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.

Magnum is one of the first photographic cooperatives, owned and administered entirely by members. The staff serve a support role for the photographers, who retain all copyrights to their own work.

The Magnum cooperative has included photojournalists from across the world, who have covered many historical events of the 20th century. The cooperative's archive includes photographs depicting family life, drugs, religion, war, poverty, famine, crime, government and celebrities.

Although it has been asserted that the name "Magnum" was chosen because the founding members always drank a bottle of champagne during the first meetings, Russell Miller writes:

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.

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). Photographers with the status of contributor or correspondent are represented by Magnum but have no voting rights. Full members can choose to become contributors after 23 years of membership; this status gives them increased liberty to work outside Magnum, at the cost of their voting rights.

Elections of new members

Interview with 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 protection issues with Magnum's digital archive

Magnum Photos' digital archive constitutes more than 1 million images, that Magnum licenses through its website. In August 2020, the Magnum website was taken offline after issues were raised by theFstoppers 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. "Much of the criticism [. . .] has focused on a series of photographs by the US photographer David Alan Harvey from his time documenting sex workers in Bangkok in 1989." 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.

Photographic collection

In February 2010, Magnum announced that Michael Dell's venture capital firm MSD Capital had acquired a collection of nearly 200,000 original press prints of images taken by Magnum photographers. It had formed a partnership with the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin to preserve, catalog, and make photographs available to the general public. 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

Name Nationality Status Active years Note
Abbas Attar Iran Deceased 1981–2018 Nominee from 1981; Full Member from 1985
William Keo France Active (Nominee Member) 2021–
Antoine d'Agata France Active (full Member) 2004–
Khalik Allah US Active (Nominee Member) 2020–
Christopher Anderson United States Active (full Member) 2005– Nominee from 2005; Full Member from 2010
Ansel Adams United States Deceased Nonmember correspondent 1956–
Eve Arnold United States Deceased 1951–2012 Associate Member from 1951; Member from 1957 First female Member.
Olivia Arthur United Kingdom Active (full Member) 2008– Nominee from 2008, associate from 2011, and full member from 2013.
Micha Bar-Am Israel Active (Correspondent) 1968– Correspondent from 1968
Bruno Barbey France Deceased 1964– 2020 Member from 1968.
Jonas Bendiksen Norway Active (full Member) 2004– Nominee from 2004; Member from 2008
Ian Berry United Kingdom Active (full Member) 1967– Member from 1962.
Werner Bischof Switzerland Deceased 1948–1954 Associate member from 1948, full member from 1949: 454 
Matt Black United States Active (Full member) 2015–
Brian Brake New Zealand Withdrawn 1957–1966 Deceased
Michael Christopher Brown United States Withdrawn 2013–2017
René Burri Switzerland Deceased 1955–2014 Associate Member from 1955; Member from 1959
Enri Canaj Albania Active (Associate) 2017–
Cornell Capa Hungary / United States Deceased 1954–2008 Member from 1954; Brother of Robert
Robert Capa Hungary / United States Deceased 1947–1954 Founding member
Henri Cartier-Bresson France Deceased 1947–2004 Founding member; Contributor from 1966
Chien-Chi Chang Taiwan Active (full Member) 1995– Member from 2001
Bruce Davidson United States Active (Contributor) 1956– Member from 1959
Carl de Keyzer Belgium Active (full Member) 1990– Member from 1994
Cristina de Middel Spain Active (Associate) 2017–
Luc Delahaye France Withdrawn 1994–2004
Raymond Depardon France Active (Contributor) 1978– Associate Member from 1978; Member from 1979
Bieke Depoorter Belgium Active (full Member) 2012–
Carolyn Drake United States Active (Full member) 2015–
Thomas Dworzak Germany Active (full Member) 2000– Nominee from 2000; member from 2004
Nikos Economopoulos Greece Active (full Member) 1990– Member from 1994
Elliott Erwitt France / United States Deceased 1953–2023 Member from 1954
Martine Franck Belgium Deceased 1980–2012 Member from 1983
Stuart Franklin United Kingdom Active (full Member) 1985– Member from 1990.
Leonard Freed United States Deceased 1956–2006 Member from 1972
Paul Fusco United States Deceased 1974–2020 Member from 1974
Cristina García Rodero Spain Active (full Member) 2005– Member from 2009
Jean Gaumy France Active (full Member) 1977– Member from 1986
Bruce Gilden United States Active (full Member) 1998– Member from 2002
Burt Glinn United States Deceased 1951–2008 Associate Member from 1951; Member from 1954
Mark Godfrey United States Withdrawn 1974–1981
Jim Goldberg United States Active (full Member) 2002– Member from 2006
Philip Jones Griffiths United Kingdom Deceased 1966–2008 Associate Member from 1966; Member from 1971
Harry Gruyaert Belgium Active (Contributor) 1981– Member from 1986
Ara Güler Turkey Deceased
Ernst Haas Austria Deceased 1950–1986 Contributor from 1966
Gregory Halpern US Active (Associate) 2018– Nominee from 2018
Philippe Halsman Russia (Latvia) / United States Deceased 1951–1979 Contributing member from 1956
Hiroshi Hamaya Japan Deceased 1960–1999 Associate Member from 1960
Charles Harbutt United States Withdrawn 1964–1981
Erich Hartmann Germany / United States Deceased 1951–1999 Member from 1952
David Alan Harvey United States Was full Member but suspended then resigned 1993–2020 Member from 1997. Harvey received a one-year suspension in 2020 following sexual misconduct allegations. 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 Active (Nominee) 2019– Nominee from 2019
Bob Henriques United States Deceased 1957–1961 (circa)
Tim Hetherington United Kingdom Deceased 2011 Posthumous acceptance; Hetherington was preparing to apply to Magnum at the time of his death.
Abigail Heyman United States Deceased 1970s;
Thomas Hoepker Germany Active (full Member) 1964– Member from 1989; president 2003–2006.
Sohrab Hura India Active (full member) 2014– Nominee member from 2014; Associate member from 2018; full member from 2020
David Hurn United Kingdom Active (full Member) 1965– Associate Member from 1965; Member from 1967
Richard Kalvar United States Active (full Member) 1975– Associate Member from 1975; Member from 1977.
Josef Koudelka Czech Republic Active (Contributor) 1971– Associate Member from 1971; Member from 1974.
Kent Klich Sweden Withdrawn 1998–2002
Hiroji Kubota Japan Active (full Member) 1971– Associate Member from 1971; Member from 1989.
Dorothea Lange United States Deceased Nonmember correspondent 1956–
Sergio Larraín Chile Deceased 1959–2012 Associate Member from 1959; Member from 1961; Contributor from 1970
Russell Lee United States Deceased Nonmember correspondent 1956–
Guy Le Querrec France Active (full Member) 1976– Member from 1977.
Erich Lessing Austria Deceased 1950– 2018 Member from 1955; later Contributor until his death in 2018
Herbert List Germany Deceased Contributor 1951–1975
Paul Lowe United Kingdom Withdrawn
Danny Lyon United States Withdrawn 1966–1968
Alex Majoli Italy Active (full Member) 1996– Member from 2001.
Constantine Manos United States Active (contributor) 1963– Member from 1965.
Mary Ellen Mark United States Deceased 1977–1981
Diana Markosian Armenia Withdrawn 2016–2019 Nominee Member from 2016
Peter Marlow United Kingdom Deceased 1986–2016 Member from 1986 to his death in 2016.
Fred Mayer Switzerland Withdrawn 1967 – 2009
Don McCullin United Kingdom Withdrawn 1968–1969
Steve McCurry United States Active (Contributor) 1986– Member from 1986.
Susan Meiselas United States Active (full Member) 1976– Member from 1980.
Lorenzo Meloni Italy Active (full Member) 2015– Nominee from 2015; Associate member from 2018
Rafał Milach Poland Active (Associate) 2018– Nominee from 2018
Wayne F. Miller United States Deceased Nonmember correspondent 1956–1958; member 1958–2013 Member from 1958, later a contributor.
Inge Morath Austria Deceased 1953–2002 Member from 1955.
Richard Mosse Ireland Withdrawn 2015–
James Nachtwey United States Withdrawn 1986–2001
Dominic Nahr [de] Switzerland Withdrawn 2010–2015
Emin Özmen Turkey Active (Associate) 2017–
Trent Parke Australia Active (full Member) 2002– Member from 2007.
Suzy Parker United States Deceased According to John G. Morris, "Capa showed model Suzy Parker how to take pictures, and for a while she was listed as a Magnum photographer".
Martin Parr United Kingdom Active (full Member) 1988– Member from 1994.
Paolo Pellegrin Italy Active (full Member) 2001– Nominee from 2001; Member from 2005.
Gilles Peress France Active (Contributor) 1970– As of 2010, a Contributor.
Gueorgui Pinkhassov Russia Active (Contributor) 1986– Member from 1994.
Mark Power United Kingdom Active (full Member) 2002– Member from 2007.
Raghu Rai India Active (Contributor) 1977–
Eli Reed United States Active (full Member) 1983–
Lua Ribeira Spain Active (Associate) 2018– Nominee from 2018
Marc Riboud France Deceased 1955–2016
Eugene Richards United States Withdrawn 1983–
Miguel Rio Branco Brazil Active (Correspondent) 1978– Associate Member from 1980
George Rodger United Kingdom Deceased 1947–1995 Founding member; Contributor from 1970
Sebastião Salgado Brazil Withdrawn 1979–1994
Moises Saman Spain Active (full member) 2010– Nominee member from 2010; full member from 2014
Alessandra Sanguinetti United States / Argentina Active (full Member) 2007–
Lise Sarfati France Withdrawn 1997–
Ferdinando Scianna Italy Active (Contributor) 1982– Member from 1989
Jérôme Sessini France Active (full Member) 2012–
David Seymour Poland, France, United States Deceased 1947–1956 Founding member
Marilyn Silverstone United States / Nepal Deceased 1964– Associate Member from 1964, Full Member from 1967, Contributor from 1975
W. Eugene Smith United States Withdrawn 1957–1958 Deceased
Lindokuhle Sobekwa South Africa Active (Associate) 2018– Nominee from 2018
Jacob Aue Sobol Denmark Active (full Member) 2007–
Alec Soth United States Active (full Member) 2004– Nominee from 2004; Member from 2008
Chris Steele-Perkins United Kingdom Active (full Member) 1979– Nominee from 1979; Associate Member from 1981; Member from 1983
Dennis Stock United States Deceased 1951–2009 Associate Member from 1951; Member from 1957
Matt Stuart United Kingdom Withdrawn 2016–2018 Nominee Member from 2016
Mikhael Subotzky South Africa Active (Full member) 2007–
Krijn Taconis [nl] Netherlands Withdrawn 1954–1960 Deceased
Newsha Tavakolian Iran Active (Full member) 2015–
Nicolas Tikhomiroff Russia / France Withdrawn 1959–2016 Deceased
Larry Towell Canada Active (full Member) 1988–
Ilkka Uimonen Finland Withdrawn 2002–
Burk Uzzle United States Withdrawn 1967–1983 1979–1980 President
Peter van Agtmael United States Active (Full Member) 2008– Nominee from 2008, associate from 2011, and full member from 2013.
William Vandivert United States Deceased 1947–1948 Founding member
John Vink [de] Belgium Withdrawn 1993–2007 Member from 1997
Alex Webb United States Active (full Member) 1976–
Simon Wheatley [fa] Singapore Withdrawn 2005–2011
Donovan Wylie United Kingdom Withdrawn 1992–2017 Member from 1997
Sim Chi Yin Singapore Active (Nominee) 2018– Nominee from 2018
Patrick Zachmann France Active (full Member) 1985–

Publications

See also


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