The Imagemakers

Pia Frankenberg

Magnum’s reputation is not just based on extraordinary photography. What distinguishes the members of the photoagency, which was founded in 1947, is character. The legendary Magnum photographers Elliott Erwitt and Burt Glinn talk about moments of opportunity, courage, independence – and humor. This interview was conducted by Pia Frankenberg in December 2006 and was first published in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in January 2007.

USA. New York. Dance School. 1977. The image is from part of a photo story about "upper class" children getting dancing lessons and being taught the "social graces". © Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos

Pia Frankenberg: Since when do you two know each other?

Burt Glinn: We first met in 1952 or ´53 I guess.

Elliott Erwitt: In the morning, I think.

BG: We got introduced and I said to somebody "what's so good about Erwitt?" (grins) I am actually still asking myself that.

PF: When did you join Magnum?

BG: Roughly around the same time, I guess.

EE: ´53

BG: Magnum wasn't a very large organization then. It was... - (turns to Elliott) Oh, by the way, Marc Riboud called the other day and said he'd come across a treasure trove of letters from Henri (Cartier-Bresson, Magnum founding member) to him that he is going to edit and maybe make a book of it.

EE: Really?

BG: He said he didn't know if certain photogaphers would like to have Henri's opinion on record and I said it's okay with me (grins).
Anyway ... I came to New York in ´53 because the Queen was going on a world tour. I don't know whether Elliott did anything on that but I know Eve Arnold did Bermuda or Jamaica and I did one of the Caribbean Islands, too, and that's when I got to know some of the older Magnum people. And then, when Bob and Werner were killed (Robert Capa, Magnum founding member, was killed by a landmine in Indochina and Werner Bischof, a member since 1949, died nine days earlier in a car accident in Peru) we all sort of got together a lot in New York. For one of the most painful funeral services that I ever attended. Do you remember that? For Bob?

EE: Yeah. 1954. May 25th. I remember that because it was my fathers's birthday.

BG: That's when I met Chim (David Seymour, Magnum founding member) for the first time.

Elena Glinn: I think Burt was talking about ´52 before. The queen was covered in ´52.

BG: That's right.

PF: Do you mean the boat "The Queen" or the Queen?

EG: The Queen.

EE: There's only one queen.

BG: Oh, I don't know!

EE: There's only one queen and, huh, what's his name... it's ...

BG: Elton John.

EE:.... he did "My fair Lady". He did the costumes for that.

BG: Oh... Cecil Beaton.

EE: Cecil Beaton! That's the queen.

PF: Do you remember any assignments that you worked on together?

BG: In the early days we both worked a lot for Holiday Magazine. We worked together on an issue on Rome. We were a very strange group of photographers there. Henri and Elliott and Slim Arons and Arnold Newman...

EE: Actually the ususal suspects.

BG: ... and I remember, the government of Italy was so pleased to have a special issue on Rome that they gave what was the Italian equivalent of the Legion of Honor to the editors of Holiday Magazine. I guess we also worked together on the Krushchev tour of America.

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