Magnum: Fifty Years at the Front Line of History

For me this book became the guide through the world of photo-journalism. Each page gives me a name, a place or an event which I'm using as a hyper links. This book is amazing.

Russell Miller has written a wonderful book, both funny and sad. It depicts the times of the most creative photographers of the 20th century. I have recommended this book to my camera club and anyone who is interested in photography.

Russell Miller outlines the history of the world's greatest photo agency from its founding shortly after World War II until its advancement into the 90's. He includes personal stories about many of the photographers. The book also charts a course between many of the conflicting visions held by the members for the purpose of the agency. As you read the book, you have to remind yourself that Magnum is a "cooperative," because rarely do the members show this spirit. At its start, Cartier-Bresson wanted pictures with artistic vision. Capa wanted hard core reportage. In later years, Martin Parr's overtly critical portrayals of his subjects tested the agency's humanistic mission. All along, the great photographers prove to be fantastically poor businessmen. Russell Miller's history of does a lot to humanize some of the gods of photojournalism. As someone who has spent several years in graduate school, I enjoyed hearing that not all of these people were perfect. It is genuinely funny to learn that Eugene Smith's seven year Pittsburgh project was actually only intended to be a two week assignment. What beginning photographer hasn't made the same kind of mistake, deciding that a story was worthy of far greater time than budgeted for by your teacher or editor? Miller's account of Smith probably goes so far as to provide a cautionary tale to aspiring photographers about the need to draw boundaries to your work life. This book would be a good addition to a college photography course. It covers its subject expansively, but it tells the story in a chronological narrative that keeps the reader turning pages quickly.

This is a wonderful book about people who are passionate about their craft. Miller takes us on a journey into one of the worlds premier photo agencies, showing the reader its inner workings, along with the in-fighting. It is an in depth story of some of the worlds best photographers (past and present)and the agency that represents them. It is a wonderful read, detailing the hows and whys of some of the most enduring images in history. This book is highly reccommended to anyone intrested in photojournalism.

Given that I had worked at Magnum as well as for several of the members, I thought that the Miller's book fairly depcited the personalities and management of the agency. Alas the book does not delve into why the new members have difficulty in living off as an associate member, or even tries to look into these problems. The history of photography and the timing of Magnum's incorporation came together fortuitously during the acme of the profession. The days of magazines such as Look, Life, and the commercial business of still photography have disappeared with the advent of color TV and Internet. Maybe they should have looked into Web pages. This is not to belittle their brilliant work in the past (I still consider my days at Magnum as the most influential in my life and still have friends in the agency), but given the original format for membership within Magnum, they should reconsider other options. Maybe such treatment would be out of context of the book, although ! it would delve into the many problems of still photography in today's world.