You are too kind, Ulrich! I am glad I can make up for some of the less than inspiring teachers we probably all had. It is actually scary how much influence one or two teachers in school have shaped us all in a good, or in a bad way. 😃
Absolutely. When I look back on my school years, one bright trace remains: my math teacher. Everything else has faded, lost in the sameness of those years. Fortunately, life later brought me people who saw me at the right time, supported me, and inspired me. Maybe that’s exactly what makes it so hard to accept that, to this day, very little has changed in our schools, except for those who can afford a better path. 🤔😉
Though I know that Henri Cartier-Bresson was the last photographer to take Mahatma Gandhi’s photograph, I did not know all these details and the back story. Thanks so much Soren for writing this and sharing it with us.
You have had me hooked on this story from the opening paragraph...the detail behind it all and your inclusion of the reverse of the photographs as well as the images is so interesting. Your story-telling is superb Soren, thank you for this fascinating essay.
Hey Lin, I am so pleased you enjoyed it. Half the time with these photographs you almost need a two-sided frame to show the context. I have only once in recent times seen a frame with the edge hinged on the wall, so that you could swing it back and forth. I like that idea for images like these, which have huge value as both documents and photographs.
Oh now that would be a novelty to have a hinged frame - although I'm not sure how safe that might be in our house...knowing me I'd leave it open and walk straight into it!😂
Reading up on Cartier-Bresson, I learned, to my amazement:
"He acted in Renoir's 1936 film "Partie de campagne" and in the 1939 "La Règle du jeu" [1939; English: Rules of the Game], for which he served as second assistant and played a butler. Renoir made Cartier-Bresson act so he could understand how it felt to be on the other side of the camera."
"Rules of the Game" is often voted one of the best 20 films of all time. It's a masterpiece that I have watched, I dunno, over 30 times, but I never knew to look for C-B! Time to get out my Blu-ray disc of RotG and find C-B!
Very cool, I learned something today. I shall go see if I can find the film somewhere. Very interesting. For a man who hated having his picture taken, this would have been the last thing I would expect!!
If I may doff my film-professor hat for a bit, I'll mention that RULES OF THE GAME is most often praised for its portrait of French society on the verge of WW II. In fact, director Jean Renoir left France not long afterward and spent the War years in Hollywood.
That is all well and good, but my favorite aspect of the film is its audacious use of deep focus and long takes. In a scene from a party at a country estate a farce plays out in deep focus--weaving several characters' romantic shenanigans together. The composition in depth is brilliant and the camera tracks for several very long takes.
As I'm sure you know, achieving deep focus was difficult in 1930s cinema, which makes Renoir's achievement even greater.
I used to analyze this scene in my French cinema classes. I'm retired now, but you can still see the sequence here (password is tcf123abc! ). Can you pick out Henri Cartier-Bresson???
But of course someone made a clip of HCB in RotG and posted it on YouTube! HCB even has a line of dialogue!
Extrait de La règle du jeu réalisé par Jean Renoir en 1939, assisté par Henri Cartier Bresson, crédité au générique comme Henri Cartier. Cartier Bresson figure dans cette scène, il joue le domestique anglais (à droite à 0'10")
Excerpt from The Rules of the Game, directed by Jean Renoir in 1939, assisted by Henri Cartier-Bresson, credited in the film as Henri Cartier. Cartier-Bresson appears in this scene, playing the English servant (on the right at 0:10).
Very interesting article, well done. Reminds of the Group f/64, that Ansel Adams put together in the 30s. . I find early photographer stories so interesting how they were discovering and inventing. This single use license, I didn't know started here. I actually use that concept with some of my clients, now I know the origin.
Thank you, Bill, for stopping by and reading. There are a lot of great stories from so many of the key figures in photography. The fun part, I think, is that a lot of them are still here, or passed away in our lifetimes. When I was at school, I thought about focusing on Renaissance Art, but once I got to the photography classes, there was no contest. It is so much closer to us, and so interesting! Thank you for your comment!
the single-use-only detail is the one that tends to get lost in the mythology of Magnum. Capa and Cartier-Bresson were not just great photographers, they were architects of a rights structure that gave photographers leverage over their own work for the first time. the cooperative model still resonates because it solved a business problem that most creative industries still haven't fully cracked.
Wow, thank you for this! When I started reading, I immediately wondered how in the hell did they manage to establish their “one time use” policy and survived until today? I wonder how different their future would have looked if it wasn’t for this one visit to Gandhi! Thank you for sharing this amazing story!
Thank you for reading, Susanne! I is fascinating and daring…. I had a look at the first assignment they did, which was Robert Capa in the USSR. It was OK, but not in the league of Gandhi. They were very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.
Thank you, Mark! I am glad you stopped by and read it and took the time to comment. You are so right, it is a key part of the history of photography in the mid-20th century.
Thank you for capturing and explaining this iconic moment in photography and world history. All the photographs are amazing but those of Gandhi are so moving. They make me think of the power, sacrifice, wisdom, and love that great leaders demonstrate. What a difference compared to today.
So true, Andrea! Thank you for reading. In photography terms, these images are right up there…. And, you are so right, it is difficult to contemplate who we have today as world leaders and compare them to some of the great leaders in the recent past. Tough times, little talent.
This was really interesting, Søren. Having recently seen the exhibition of photos by the founders of Magnum (which included some of HCB's Ghandi images) your essay has added additional context and background. Much appreciated!
Thank you very much, Mark! I remember you went to see the show. The timing of HCB's visit to India and the assassination of Gandhi is uncanny. I recently had a look at Steinbeck's and Capa's collaboration in Russia, which was rather underwhelming. I don't think there was enough there. However, HCB came from a lot of money and could probably have carried them all for a while, but the India photographs made that unnecessary.
Amazing article. Thank you for posting. What a powerful group. The article made me think about how digital and phone cameras have allowed more access to regular people to take photos of significant events or share everyday experiences with people around the world. However twisted a story from photos may become, the raw access of a camera to almost anything that happens in the world today is striking. However, the media and algorithms leave 99% of all photos unseen. IMO
Hi Derek, I am glad you enjoyed it. I do think you are right. We can all bear witness. I do worry that the desensitising of the viewer from sheer overload of photographs is very real. The algorithm and AI will surely filter in ways we do not want, nor desire.
I wish my art and history classes back in school had been of this quality. Thank you for your wonderful, truly fascinating work, Søren. 🙏
You are too kind, Ulrich! I am glad I can make up for some of the less than inspiring teachers we probably all had. It is actually scary how much influence one or two teachers in school have shaped us all in a good, or in a bad way. 😃
Absolutely. When I look back on my school years, one bright trace remains: my math teacher. Everything else has faded, lost in the sameness of those years. Fortunately, life later brought me people who saw me at the right time, supported me, and inspired me. Maybe that’s exactly what makes it so hard to accept that, to this day, very little has changed in our schools, except for those who can afford a better path. 🤔😉
100%!
Though I know that Henri Cartier-Bresson was the last photographer to take Mahatma Gandhi’s photograph, I did not know all these details and the back story. Thanks so much Soren for writing this and sharing it with us.
Thank you very much, Shital! I am glad you got something new from this post!
You have had me hooked on this story from the opening paragraph...the detail behind it all and your inclusion of the reverse of the photographs as well as the images is so interesting. Your story-telling is superb Soren, thank you for this fascinating essay.
Hey Lin, I am so pleased you enjoyed it. Half the time with these photographs you almost need a two-sided frame to show the context. I have only once in recent times seen a frame with the edge hinged on the wall, so that you could swing it back and forth. I like that idea for images like these, which have huge value as both documents and photographs.
Oh now that would be a novelty to have a hinged frame - although I'm not sure how safe that might be in our house...knowing me I'd leave it open and walk straight into it!😂
Reading up on Cartier-Bresson, I learned, to my amazement:
"He acted in Renoir's 1936 film "Partie de campagne" and in the 1939 "La Règle du jeu" [1939; English: Rules of the Game], for which he served as second assistant and played a butler. Renoir made Cartier-Bresson act so he could understand how it felt to be on the other side of the camera."
"Rules of the Game" is often voted one of the best 20 films of all time. It's a masterpiece that I have watched, I dunno, over 30 times, but I never knew to look for C-B! Time to get out my Blu-ray disc of RotG and find C-B!
Thanks, Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Cartier-Bresson
Very cool, I learned something today. I shall go see if I can find the film somewhere. Very interesting. For a man who hated having his picture taken, this would have been the last thing I would expect!!
If I may doff my film-professor hat for a bit, I'll mention that RULES OF THE GAME is most often praised for its portrait of French society on the verge of WW II. In fact, director Jean Renoir left France not long afterward and spent the War years in Hollywood.
That is all well and good, but my favorite aspect of the film is its audacious use of deep focus and long takes. In a scene from a party at a country estate a farce plays out in deep focus--weaving several characters' romantic shenanigans together. The composition in depth is brilliant and the camera tracks for several very long takes.
As I'm sure you know, achieving deep focus was difficult in 1930s cinema, which makes Renoir's achievement even greater.
I used to analyze this scene in my French cinema classes. I'm retired now, but you can still see the sequence here (password is tcf123abc! ). Can you pick out Henri Cartier-Bresson???
https://vimeo.com/345100746
PS I can understand some photographers affection for bokeh, but give me a deep focus composition any day of the week!
But of course someone made a clip of HCB in RotG and posted it on YouTube! HCB even has a line of dialogue!
Extrait de La règle du jeu réalisé par Jean Renoir en 1939, assisté par Henri Cartier Bresson, crédité au générique comme Henri Cartier. Cartier Bresson figure dans cette scène, il joue le domestique anglais (à droite à 0'10")
Excerpt from The Rules of the Game, directed by Jean Renoir in 1939, assisted by Henri Cartier-Bresson, credited in the film as Henri Cartier. Cartier-Bresson appears in this scene, playing the English servant (on the right at 0:10).
https://youtu.be/fsugAVmQQb4?si=z1ilz3HYFMDkJK4O&t=10
HCB's line:
Où il y a de la gêne, il n'y a pas de plage. (Google translate: Where there’s awkwardness, there’s no relaxation [literally "beach"]. )
I shall have a look when I get home and can view it on a proper screen! Thank you so much for the information, Jeremy!
Very interesting article, well done. Reminds of the Group f/64, that Ansel Adams put together in the 30s. . I find early photographer stories so interesting how they were discovering and inventing. This single use license, I didn't know started here. I actually use that concept with some of my clients, now I know the origin.
Thank you, Bill, for stopping by and reading. There are a lot of great stories from so many of the key figures in photography. The fun part, I think, is that a lot of them are still here, or passed away in our lifetimes. When I was at school, I thought about focusing on Renaissance Art, but once I got to the photography classes, there was no contest. It is so much closer to us, and so interesting! Thank you for your comment!
the single-use-only detail is the one that tends to get lost in the mythology of Magnum. Capa and Cartier-Bresson were not just great photographers, they were architects of a rights structure that gave photographers leverage over their own work for the first time. the cooperative model still resonates because it solved a business problem that most creative industries still haven't fully cracked.
I completely agree! There is still work to be done, but the model is there! Thank you for your comment, Thomas!
Thanks for sharing this story about the early days of Magnum. A very interesting read 👌
Thank you for stopping by, Leon! You are most welcome, I am glad you found it interesting!
Wow, thank you for this! When I started reading, I immediately wondered how in the hell did they manage to establish their “one time use” policy and survived until today? I wonder how different their future would have looked if it wasn’t for this one visit to Gandhi! Thank you for sharing this amazing story!
Thank you for reading, Susanne! I is fascinating and daring…. I had a look at the first assignment they did, which was Robert Capa in the USSR. It was OK, but not in the league of Gandhi. They were very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.
Fascinating! Thanks so much for putting all this out here for us.
You are welcome, Liza! I am glad you found it interesting!
Very well written Soren
Thank you, so much! Appreciate your visit, Sreeranj!
Thank you for recounting the amazing story, such a key part of photographic history.
Thank you, Mark! I am glad you stopped by and read it and took the time to comment. You are so right, it is a key part of the history of photography in the mid-20th century.
I’ve just recently read the small Thames & Hudson book on Henri Cartier-Bresson
💙💙 very moved now
Have to put this device down now and go out into the world and let this work into me.
Thank you, Blackthorn. I very much appreciate your comment.
Thank you for capturing and explaining this iconic moment in photography and world history. All the photographs are amazing but those of Gandhi are so moving. They make me think of the power, sacrifice, wisdom, and love that great leaders demonstrate. What a difference compared to today.
So true, Andrea! Thank you for reading. In photography terms, these images are right up there…. And, you are so right, it is difficult to contemplate who we have today as world leaders and compare them to some of the great leaders in the recent past. Tough times, little talent.
This was really interesting, Søren. Having recently seen the exhibition of photos by the founders of Magnum (which included some of HCB's Ghandi images) your essay has added additional context and background. Much appreciated!
Thank you very much, Mark! I remember you went to see the show. The timing of HCB's visit to India and the assassination of Gandhi is uncanny. I recently had a look at Steinbeck's and Capa's collaboration in Russia, which was rather underwhelming. I don't think there was enough there. However, HCB came from a lot of money and could probably have carried them all for a while, but the India photographs made that unnecessary.
What a story, Søren - and so well-delivered, thank you! I enjoyed every bit...those images feel so tangible.
Thank you, Juliette, the whole timing of this story is extraordinary. A whole lot of if this, then that... Thank you for the great comment.
Amazing article. Thank you for posting. What a powerful group. The article made me think about how digital and phone cameras have allowed more access to regular people to take photos of significant events or share everyday experiences with people around the world. However twisted a story from photos may become, the raw access of a camera to almost anything that happens in the world today is striking. However, the media and algorithms leave 99% of all photos unseen. IMO
Hi Derek, I am glad you enjoyed it. I do think you are right. We can all bear witness. I do worry that the desensitising of the viewer from sheer overload of photographs is very real. The algorithm and AI will surely filter in ways we do not want, nor desire.