01 / 04

In Our Time: Magnum Photographs 1936 - 1987

In 1947, four freelance magazine photographers, who in various ways had survived the dangers of the Second World War, decided to work together for their common good. The four were Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, David (Chim) Seymour, and George Rodger – a Hungarian, a Frenchman, a Pole and an Englishman – and the photographers' co-operative they formed, the Magnum photo-agency, changed not only the way photographers did business, but also our perception of what photography might be.

Today, both the world in which we live and the world of photography are very different places, with different problems, yet Magnum is still going strong. It has changed, it has grown – to around 60 active members at any one time. And photographic practice has altered immeasurably, especially since the advent of digital technology. The agency now has an archive of over half –a million images, containing iconic photographs we all know, and creating an unrivalled picture of our modern times. However, the principles and ambitions that drove those four individuals back in 1947 remain broadly the same. They can be defined by one word: respect. The Magnum approach demands that photographers have respect for humanity, for their subjects, and indeed, for themselves and their profession.

The period covered by the exhibition spans the 40 years between the end of the Second World War (with a few pre-war examples) and the advent of computers, cyberspace, mobile phones and ‘citizen reporters’. It represents what many have termed a ‘golden age’ of photojournalism. Since then, the world of documentary photography has changed rapidly, and Magnum, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2007, has had to adapt to these changes. However, its idealistic core remains the same, and is probably best summed up in the following quote by founding member, Henri Cartier-Bresson:

‘Magnum is a community of thought, a shared human quality, a curiosity about what is going on in the world, a respect for what is going on, and a desire to transcribe it visually.’