Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Robert Capa Film Found!

The NYTimes reported today that the Mexican suitcase that arrived at the International Center of Photography, more than a year ago, contains 4,300 lost photographs taken by Robert Capa, Gerda Taro and David Seymour during the Spanish Civil War. The photographs that they show on the Time's website are amazing. They're reporting that the photos, though decayed, are still in great condition after 70 years of sitting in the suitcase, hidden from the public. The pictures link a lot of choppy history during the men's photojournalism years during the Spanish Civil War.

Here are links to the Article and the Slide show-- There wasn't any embeded option :( 

I am writing about this find, here, on the Ingrid Bergman Life and Films blog because Bergman and Capa were hot and heavy after WWII. Ingrid and Capawere very in love and found a release being with one another. He was addicted to danger which is evident through many of his photographs, most famously, his photos of the D-Day invasion on the beaches at Normandy. She was addicted to acting and her career. They found their relationship a Month after VE-Day at the Ritz hotel in Paris.
(Ingrid in a bathtub in post-war Paris, photo taken by Capa)

Ingrid was in town working with the U.S.O. (after a successful tour in Alaska) and had recently finished work on The Bells of St. Mary's while Capa was there as well working on shots of Paris after the war. They had both had affairs, but this one topped the cake. Ingrid convinced Capa (that's all she EVER called him) to come to Hollywood to work on the stills for Notorious, but after a while the romance dwindled. Capa had one run in with Petter Lindstrom, Ingrid's husband, on a skiing vacation, who flipped out when Ingrid admitted to the affair, asked for a divorce, which Ingrid denied (it was her turn to do so, lol, read a bio of her and this makes more sense...lol), and this set things up in smoke for a bit. When they were in New York City, 2 years after meeting, they decided to part ways amicably and remained friends until Capa died suddenly after stepping on a land mine in Indochina, in 1954. Ingrid was very saddened by his death for she had a true fondness for the man who refused to marry her as not to be caged by the threat of leaving a wife and potential children behind to mourn him (and most likely, restrain him.). 

If you'd like to read more about this affair and Ingrid's life, I suggest Donald Spoto's Notorious: The Life of Ingrid Bergman.

2 comments:

Meredith said...

how wonderful!! i love it when things like this are discovered.

Kinga said...

wow! what a rare photo you have! In her book, Miss Bergman said that the negative of the photos of her in the bathtub were destroyed. Glad she was mistaken :)

btw, looooooooooooove your blog! Congrats!
(I've just found it, but be sure, I'll be a regular visitor here ;))

About Me

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An avid Ingrid Bergman fan, I am a student of her life and work as well as film, filmmaking and Classic Film in general. I have my M.F.A. in TV/Film Production from USC School of Cinematic Arts and have been making a living in the business they call show. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @alexis_morrell