| Magnum Photos | |
| Type: | Cooperative |
| Founder: | Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, William Vandivert, Rita Vandivert, Maria Eisner |
| Location: | New York City, Paris, London, Tokyo |
| Area Served: | Worldwide |
| Industry: | Photography |
| Products: | Photojournalism, stock photography |
Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in Paris, New York City, London and Tokyo. It was founded in 1947 in Paris by photographers Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, Maria Eisner, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, William Vandivert, and Rita Vandivert. Its photographers retain all copyrights to their own work.
In 2010, MSD Capital acquired a collection of nearly 200,000 original press prints of images taken by Magnum photographers, which in 2013 it donated to the Harry Ransom Center.
Magnum was founded in Paris in 1947 by Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and William Vandivert (all photographers), Rita Vandivert and Maria Eisner, based on an idea of Capa's. (Seymour, Cartier-Bresson and Rodger were all absent from the meeting at which it was founded.[1] In response to a letter telling him that he was a member, Rodger wrote that Magnum seemed a good idea but, "It all sounded too halcyon to be true," when Capa had told him of it and, "I rather dismissed the whole thing from my mind".[2])
Rita Vandivert was the first President, and head of the New York office; Maria Eisner the head of the Paris office.[3] The plan was for Rodger to cover Africa and the Middle East; Cartier-Bresson to cover south and east Asia; Seymour and William Vandivert to cover Europe and the United States, respectively; and Capa to be free to follow his curiosity and events.[3]
Magnum is one of the first photographic cooperatives, owned and administered entirely by members. The staff serve a support role for the photographers, who retain all copyrights to their own work.
The Magnum cooperative has included photojournalists from across the world, who have covered many historical events of the 20th century. The cooperative's archive includes photographs depicting family life, drugs, religion, war, poverty, famine, crime, government and celebrities.
Although it has been asserted that the name "Magnum" was chosen because the founding members always drank a bottle of champagne during the first meetings,[4] Russell Miller writes:
It was . . . presumably agreed by those present [at the first meeting] that Magnum was a fine new name for such a bold new venture, indicative as it was of greatness in its literal Latin translation, toughness in its gun connotation and celebration in its champagne mode.[5]
Magnum is owned by its photographers, who act as shareholders. Each full member of Magnum has a vote in proposals made at a meeting held once a year, called the Annual General Meeting (AGM).[6] Photographers with the status of contributor or correspondent are represented by Magnum but have no voting rights. Full members can choose to become contributors after 23 years of membership; this status gives them increased liberty to work outside Magnum, at the cost of their voting rights.[7]
In the early years of Magnum, membership had generally come about by the personal invitation of Robert Capa. However, in 1955 a three-stage membership system was set up that continues to this day[8] and is described below. Until 1953 there were also a large number of stringers who used Magnum but were not members.[9]
Magnum's photographers meet once a year, during the last weekend in June, in New York City, Paris or London, to discuss the cooperative's business. One day of the meeting is reserved to review potential new members' portfolios and vote on admitting individuals. An approved applicant is invited to become a 'Nominee Member' of Magnum, a category of membership that provides a chance for members and the individual to get to know each other, but that includes no binding commitments on either side.
After two years of Nominee membership, a photographer may present another portfolio if wanting to apply for 'Associate Membership'. If successful, the photographer is bound by the rules of the agency, and enjoys its facilities and worldwide representation. The difference between an Associate Member and a full Member is that an Associate is not a Director of the Company and does not have voting rights in the corporate decision-making. After two more years, an Associate wanting to be considered for full membership presents another portfolio of work for consideration by the members. Once elected as a full member, the individual is a member of Magnum for life or for as long as the photographer chooses.
Magnum Photos' digital archive constitutes more than 1 million images, that Magnum licenses through its website.[10] In August 2020, the Magnum website was taken offline after issues were raised by the Fstoppers photography website and amplified on social media by others including Jörg Colberg. Given the tags on the photos, there was concern that Magnum was making available photographs of children featuring nudity; that documented encounters that constituted a record of acts of child sexual abuse; and that were problematic in terms of the way they had been labelled for searching.[11] [10] "Much of the criticism [. . .] has focused on a series of photographs by the US photographer David Alan Harvey from his time documenting sex workers in Bangkok in 1989."[12] In a statement Magnum said it will re-examine the content of its archive, and has since made its website available again but without Harvey's Bangkok series.[10] [13] Harvey was later suspended for a year following a formal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him.
In February 2010, Magnum announced that Michael Dell's venture capital firm MSD Capital had acquired a collection of nearly 200,000 original press prints of images taken by Magnum photographers. It had formed a partnership with the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin to preserve, catalog, and make photographs available to the general public.[14] [15] [16] In September 2013 it was announced MSD Capital donated the collection to the Ransom Center.[17] A preliminary inventory is available for researchers who wish to use the collection.[18]
The Graduate Photographers Award was established in 2015.[19]
| Name | Nationality | Status | Active years | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbas Attar | Iran | Deceased | 1981–2018[20] | Nominee from 1981; Full Member from 1985[21] | |
| William Keo | France | Active (Nominee Member)[22] | 2021– | ||
| Antoine d'Agata | France | Active (full Member) | 2004– | ||
| Khalik Allah | United States | Active (Nominee Member)[23] | 2020– | ||
| Christopher Anderson | United States | Active (full Member) | 2005– | Nominee from 2005; Full Member from 2010[24] | |
| Ansel Adams | United States | Deceased | Nonmember correspondent 1956– | ||
| Eve Arnold | United States | Deceased | 1951–2012 | Associate Member from 1951;[25] Member from 1957[26] First female Member. | |
| Olivia Arthur | United Kingdom | Active (full Member) | 2008– | Nominee from 2008, associate from 2011, and full member from 2013.[27] [28] | |
| Micha Bar-Am | Israel | Active (Correspondent) | 1968– | Correspondent from 1968[29] | |
| Bruno Barbey | France[30] | Deceased | 1964–[31] 2020[32] | Member from 1968. | |
| Jonas Bendiksen | Norway | Active (full Member) | 2004– | Nominee from 2004; Member from 2008[33] | |
| Ian Berry | United Kingdom | Active (full Member) | 1967[34] – | Member from 1962.[35] | |
| Werner Bischof | Switzerland | Deceased | 1948–1954 | Associate member from 1948, full member from 1949[36] [37] | |
| Matt Black | United States | Active (Full member) | 2015–[38] | ||
| Brian Brake | New Zealand | Withdrawn | 1957–1966 | Deceased | |
| Michael Christopher Brown | United States | Withdrawn | 2013–2017[39] [40] [41] | ||
| René Burri | Switzerland | Deceased | 1955–2014 | Associate Member from 1955; Member from 1959[42] | |
| Enri Canaj | Albania | Active (Associate) | 2017– | ||
| Cornell Capa | Hungary / United States | Deceased | 1954–2008 | Member from 1954;[43] Brother of Robert | |
| Robert Capa | Hungary / United States | Deceased | 1947–1954 | Founding member | |
| Henri Cartier-Bresson | France | Deceased | 1947–2004 | Founding member; Contributor from 1966 | |
| Chien-Chi Chang | Taiwan | Active (full Member) | 1995–[44] | Member from 2001 | |
| Bruce Davidson | United States | Active (Contributor) | 1956–[45] | Member from 1959 | |
| Carl de Keyzer | Belgium | Active (full Member) | 1990–[46] | Member from 1994 | |
| Cristina de Middel | Spain | Active (Associate) | 2017– | ||
| Luc Delahaye | France | Withdrawn | 1994–2004 | ||
| Raymond Depardon | France | Active (Contributor) | 1978– | Associate Member from 1978; Member from 1979[47] | |
| Bieke Depoorter | Belgium | Active (full Member) | 2012–[48] | ||
| Carolyn Drake | United States | Active (Full member) | 2015– | ||
| Thomas Dworzak | Germany | Active (full Member) | 2000– | Nominee from 2000; member from 2004[49] | |
| Nikos Economopoulos | Greece | Active (full Member) | 1990– | Member from 1994[50] | |
| Elliott Erwitt | France / United States | Deceased | 1953–2023[51] | Member from 1954 | |
| Martine Franck | Belgium | Deceased | 1980–2012[52] | Member from 1983 | |
| Stuart Franklin | United Kingdom | Active (full Member) | 1985–[53] | Member from 1990. | |
| Leonard Freed | United States | Deceased | 1956[54] –2006 | Member from 1972 | |
| Gisèle Freund | France | Deceased | 1947–1954[55] | ||
| Paul Fusco | United States | Deceased | 1974–2020 | Member from 1974 | |
| Cristina García Rodero | Spain | Active (full Member) | 2005–[56] | Member from 2009 | |
| Jean Gaumy | France | Active (full Member) | 1977–[57] | Member from 1986 | |
| Bruce Gilden | United States | Active (full Member) | 1998–[58] | Member from 2002 | |
| Burt Glinn | United States | Deceased | 1951[59] –2008 | Associate Member from 1951; Member from 1954 | |
| Mark Godfrey | United States | Withdrawn | 1974–1981 | ||
| Jim Goldberg | United States | Active (full Member) | 2002–[60] | Member from 2006 | |
| Philip Jones Griffiths | United Kingdom | Deceased | 1966–2008 | Associate Member from 1966; Member from 1971[61] | |
| Harry Gruyaert | Belgium | Active (Contributor) | 1981–[62] | Member from 1986 | |
| Ara Güler | Turkey | Deceased | |||
| Ernst Haas | Austria | Deceased | 1950–1986 | Contributor from 1966 | |
| Gregory Halpern | United States | Active (Associate) | 2018– | Nominee from 2018[63] | |
| Philippe Halsman | Russia (Latvia) / United States | Deceased | 1951[64] –1979 | Contributing member from 1956 | |
| Hiroshi Hamaya | Japan | Deceased | 1960–1999 | Associate Member from 1960[65] | |
| Charles Harbutt | United States | Withdrawn | 1964–1981 | ||
| Erich Hartmann | Germany / United States | Deceased | 1951[66] –1999 | Member from 1952 | |
| David Alan Harvey | United States | Was full Member but suspended then resigned | 1993–2020[67] | Member from 1997. Harvey received a one-year suspension in 2020 following sexual misconduct allegations.[68] Magnum voted to remove him as a member and he resigned in 2021 before the board had their final meeting regarding the matter.[69] | |
| Nanna Heitmann | Germany/Russia | Active (Nominee) | 2019– | Nominee from 2019 | |
| Bob Henriques | United States | Deceased[70] | 1957–1961 (circa) | ||
| Tim Hetherington | United Kingdom | Deceased | 2011 | Posthumous acceptance; Hetherington was preparing to apply to Magnum at the time of his death.[71] | |
| Abigail Heyman | United States | Deceased | 1970s; | ||
| Thomas Hoepker | Germany | Active (full Member) | 1964–2024[72] | Member from 1989; president 2003–2006. | |
| Sohrab Hura | India | Active (full member) | 2014– | Nominee member from 2014;[73] Associate member from 2018;[74] full member from 2020 | |
| David Hurn | United Kingdom | Active (full Member) | 1965–[75] | Associate Member from 1965;[76] Member from 1967 | |
| Richard Kalvar | United States | Active (full Member) | 1975– | Associate Member from 1975; Member from 1977.[77] | |
| Sakir Khader | Netherlands / Palestine | Active (Nominee) | 2024– | Nominee since 2024.[78] | |
| Josef Koudelka | Czech Republic | Active (Contributor) | 1971– | Associate Member from 1971; Member from 1974.[79] | |
| Kent Klich | Sweden | Withdrawn | 1998–2002 | ||
| Hiroji Kubota | Japan | Active (full Member) | 1971– | Associate Member from 1971;[80] Member from 1989.[81] | |
| Dorothea Lange | United States | Deceased | Nonmember correspondent 1956– | ||
| Sergio Larraín | Chile | Deceased | 1959–2012 | Associate Member from 1959; Member from 1961; Contributor from 1970[82] | |
| Russell Lee | United States | Deceased | Nonmember correspondent 1956– | ||
| Guy Le Querrec | France | Active (full Member) | 1976–[83] | Member from 1977. | |
| Erich Lessing | Austria | Deceased | 1950–[84] 2018 | Member from 1955;[85] later Contributor until his death in 2018 | |
| Herbert List | Germany | Deceased | Contributor 1951–1975[86] | ||
| Paul Lowe[87] | United Kingdom | Withdrawn | |||
| Danny Lyon | United States | Withdrawn | 1966–1968 | ||
| Alex Majoli | Italy | Active (full Member) | 1996–[88] | Member from 2001. | |
| Constantine Manos | United States | Active (contributor) | 1963–[89] | Member from 1965. | |
| Mary Ellen Mark | United States | Deceased | 1977–1981 | ||
| Diana Markosian | Armenia | Withdrawn | 2016–2019 | Nominee Member from 2016[90] | |
| Peter Marlow | United Kingdom | Deceased[91] | 1986–2016 | Member from 1986[92] to his death in 2016. | |
| Fred Mayer | Switzerland | Withdrawn | 1967[93] – 2009 | ||
| Don McCullin | United Kingdom | Withdrawn | 1968–1969 | ||
| Steve McCurry | United States | Active (Contributor) | 1986– | Member from 1986.[94] | |
| Susan Meiselas | United States | Active (full Member) | 1976–[95] | Member from 1980. | |
| Lorenzo Meloni | Italy | Active (full Member) | 2015– | Nominee from 2015; Associate member from 2018[96] | |
| Rafał Milach | Poland | Active (Associate) | 2018– | Nominee from 2018 | |
| Wayne F. Miller | United States | Deceased | Nonmember correspondent 1956–1958; member 1958–2013 | Member from 1958, later a contributor.[97] | |
| Inge Morath | Austria | Deceased | 1953[98] –2002 | Member from 1955. | |
| Richard Mosse | Ireland | Withdrawn | 2015– | ||
| James Nachtwey | United States | Withdrawn | 1986–2001 | ||
| Switzerland | Withdrawn | 2010–2015 | |||
| Emin Özmen | Turkey | Active (Associate) | 2017– | ||
| Trent Parke | Australia | Active (full Member) | 2002–[99] | Member from 2007. | |
| Suzy Parker | United States | Deceased | According to John G. Morris, "Capa showed model Suzy Parker how to take pictures, and for a while she was listed as a Magnum photographer".[100] | ||
| Martin Parr | United Kingdom | Active (full Member) | 1988–[101] | Member from 1994. | |
| Paolo Pellegrin | Italy | Active (full Member) | 2001–[102] | Nominee from 2001; Member from 2005. | |
| Gilles Peress | France | Active (Contributor) | 1970–[103] | As of 2010, a Contributor. | |
| Gueorgui Pinkhassov | Russia | Active (Contributor) | 1986–[104] | Member from 1994. | |
| Mark Power | United Kingdom | Active (full Member) | 2002–[105] | Member from 2007. | |
| Raghu Rai | India | Active (Contributor) | 1977– | ||
| Eli Reed | United States | Active (full Member) | 1983– | ||
| Lua Ribeira | Spain | Active (Associate) | 2018– | Nominee from 2018 | |
| Marc Riboud | France | Deceased | 1955–2016 | ||
| Eugene Richards | United States | Withdrawn | 1983– | ||
| Miguel Rio Branco | Brazil | Active (Correspondent) | 1978– | Associate Member from 1980[106] [107] | |
| George Rodger | United Kingdom | Deceased | 1947–1995 | Founding member; Contributor from 1970 | |
| Sebastião Salgado | Brazil | Withdrawn | 1979–1994 | ||
| Moises Saman | Spain | Active (full member)[108] | 2010– | Nominee member from 2010; full member from 2014 | |
| Alessandra Sanguinetti | United States / Argentina | Active (full Member) | 2007– | ||
| Lise Sarfati | France | Withdrawn | 1997– | ||
| Ferdinando Scianna | Italy | Active (Contributor)[109] | 1982– | Member from 1989[110] | |
| Jérôme Sessini | France | Active (full Member) | 2012–[111] | ||
| David Seymour | Poland, France, United States | Deceased | 1947–1956 | Founding member | |
| Marilyn Silverstone | United States / Nepal | Deceased | 1964– | Associate Member from 1964, Full Member from 1967, Contributor from 1975[112] | |
| W. Eugene Smith | United States | Withdrawn[113] | 1957–1958[114] | Deceased | |
| Lindokuhle Sobekwa | South Africa | Active (Associate) | 2018– | Nominee from 2018 | |
| Jacob Aue Sobol | Denmark | Active (full Member) | 2007– | ||
| Alec Soth | United States | Active (full Member) | 2004– | Nominee from 2004; Member from 2008[115] | |
| Chris Steele-Perkins | United Kingdom | Active (full Member) | 1979– | Nominee from 1979; Associate Member from 1981; Member from 1983[116] | |
| Dennis Stock | United States | Deceased | 1951–2009 | Associate Member from 1951; Member from 1957[117] | |
| Matt Stuart | United Kingdom | Withdrawn | 2016–2018 | Nominee Member from 2016 | |
| Mikhael Subotzky | South Africa | Active (Full member) | 2007– | ||
| Netherlands | Withdrawn | 1954–1960 | Deceased | ||
| Newsha Tavakolian | Iran | Active (Full member) | 2015– | ||
| Nicolas Tikhomiroff | Russia / France | Withdrawn | 1959–2016 | Deceased | |
| Larry Towell | Canada | Active (full Member) | 1988– | ||
| Ilkka Uimonen | Finland | Withdrawn | 2002– | ||
| Burk Uzzle | United States | Withdrawn | 1967–1983[118] | 1979–1980 President | |
| Peter van Agtmael | United States | Active (Full Member) | 2008– | Nominee from 2008, associate from 2011, and full member from 2013. | |
| William Vandivert | United States | Deceased | 1947[119] –1948[120] | Founding member | |
| Belgium | Withdrawn | 1993–2007[121] | Member from 1997[122] | ||
| Alex Webb | United States | Active (full Member) | 1976– | ||
| Singapore | Withdrawn | 2005–2011 | |||
| Donovan Wylie | United Kingdom | Withdrawn | 1992–2017 | Member from 1997[123] | |
| Sim Chi Yin | Singapore | Active (Nominee) | 2018– | Nominee from 2018 | |
| Patrick Zachmann | France | Active (full Member) | 1985– |