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Question About Robert Capa on D-Day


james127
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I'm working on the next episode for the History Traveler series on my YouTube channel (link here) and was wondering if anyone knew what section of Omaha Beach Robert Capa landed on when he took his famous blurry photos. I've done some digging but haven't been able to come up with much. Also, if anyone would like to watch the episode that I'm working on before I make it public to fact check and make sure that I don't sound like a complete moron, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

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tdogchristy90

I'm working on the next episode for the History Traveler series on my YouTube channel (link here) and was wondering if anyone knew what section of Omaha Beach Robert Capa landed on when he took his famous blurry photos. I've done some digging but haven't been able to come up with much. Also, if anyone would like to watch the episode that I'm working on before I make it public to fact check and make sure that I don't sound like a complete moron, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

According to a quick search Capa was supposed to land with the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division which was to land on Easy Red I believe.

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+1

 

Source: https://www.magnumphotos.com/newsroom/conflict/robert-capa-d-day-omaha-beach/

 

“I am a gambler. I decided to go in with Company E in the first wave.

 

The coast of Normandy was still miles away when the first unmistakable popping reached our listening ears. We ducked down in the puky water in the bottom of the barge and ceased to watch the approaching coastline. The first empty barge, which had already unloaded its troops on the beach, passed us on the way back to the Chase and the Negro boatswain gave us a happy grin and the V sign. It was now light enough to start taking pictures, and I brought my first Contax camera out of its waterproof oilskin. The flat bottom of our barge hit the earth of France. The boatswain lowered the steel-covered barge front, and there, between the grotesque designs of steel obstacles sticking out of the water, was a thin line of land covered with smoke – our Europe, the ‘Easy Red’ beach.

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suwanneetrader

A week or so ago I sold a book by Capa "Omaha Beach on D-Day" Robert Capa & Morvant Bertail ISBN: 978-1-62672-283-5 to Forum member "Old Crow 1986" Part is artist drawings and part are Capa photos with happenings to him in his own words. If you can not find a copy I think Ned would share with you. It will answer your questions. Richard

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Old Crow 1986

This is why I love this forum!

 

Woke up, fed the rabbits, read the online news, settled into USMF to catch up on any overnight postings and found the question about Capra on D-Day.

 

Started looking through my new book (BTW - thanks again Richard) and found the following on an INCREDIBLE fold out page:

 

"Easy Red"

 

post-288817-0-41424700-1584631046_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

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Old Crow 1986

James - You are more than welcome to borrow, use, reference (within copyright standards) the book. It really is something - part comic, part graphic novel, part history text, part biography. And don't let my crummy, hurried, cel camera shots throw you off...the graphics are quite good.

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James - You are more than welcome to borrow, use, reference (within copyright standards) the book. It really is something - part comic, part graphic novel, part history text, part biography. And don't let my crummy, hurried, cel camera shots throw you off...the graphics are quite good.

 

Oh wow. Very cool. That's the first that I'd heard of this book. Thanks for sharing that.

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Thanks everyone for the help. I'm getting ready to upload the first Omaha Beach video to YouTube (to be released public on Monday). If anyone with extensive knowledge on the D-Day would be willing to give it a quick look and make sure I don't have any glaring errors, shoot me a message and I'll send you a link when it is up.

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hbtcoveralls

You need to read this piece which debunks much of what came out later about capa on D-day.

 

The story he told (and his brother told for that matter) are quickly debunked, and the legend of the ruined film is also debunked

 

He was a mercenary photographer, he came in shot a quick roll and scooted right back out, taking only the photos we see today and not the allegedly lost photos

 

https://petapixel.com/2019/02/16/debunking-the-myths-of-robert-capa-on-d-day/

enjoy

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  • 3 months later...

Capa was one of the best combat photographers of all time in my, and legions of other's, opinion. I'll defend the quality and body of his work any day, all day. However, long before that article was written (and it's got some flawed logic as well as historical inaccuracies) the story of Capa's ruined negatives has been circulating. I never bought the story they were ruined in the dryer. What is disappointing is the apparent dishonesty in the retelling by him and his brother.  I'm pleased folks are questioning it. Let's not forget Joe Rosenthal had his character called into question as well. Did Capa shoot and scoot? I'd say the evidence is compelling that was the case. He even writes about it. But if you don't know enough about 35mm photography you wouldn't know how his cameras were reloaded. Cumbersome on dry land, much less in the surf. People are also often ignorant that there was pressure by the papers for the photojournalists to get images back to London ASAP so that they could be sent back to the States. So yeah, shoot and scoot, get back on the boat, hand deliver the photos you risked your life for makes sense to me.

Was he a mercenary photographer? Not going to try to talk anyone out of that. He definitely was focused on self-promotion. But thumb through any book of his and you'll see he was on the front lines time and time again (even parachuted).  It's a bold statement to deny his bravery. 

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