Magnum: A World of Photography

Chock full of contact sheets, slides and notes, this exclusive look into the Magnum archives uncovers hidden treasures by Robert Capa, Eve Arnold, Leonard Freed and more

Published with Foto Arsenal Wien.

You’ve seen that photo of James Dean in Times Square before you saw it on this book’s cover. But how do these world-famous images come into being? Where and why are they first published? And how are they preserved for future generations? Magnum: A World of Photography examines the cutting-edge archiving strategies of the renowned Magnum Photos, founded in 1947 and still representing some of the most influential practitioners in the history of photography.
Made in close collaboration with Magnum, this book reveals undiscovered processes through a wealth of material: from contact sheets and darkroom experiments to vintage prints and slides, from magazines and newspapers to books and personal correspondence. With each chapter dedicated to one photographer, from the firm’s inception to the present day, Magnum offers a behind-the-scenes look into the archives of Robert Capa, Elliott Erwitt, Inge Morath, Leonard Freed and more.