See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (2024)

Posted inArt

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (1)byCarey Dunne

This is not a paywall

You can keep reading for free! At Hyperallergic, we strive to make art more inclusive, so you’ll never hit a paywall when reading our articles. But, as an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to keep our high-quality coverage free and accessible.

Please consider joining us as a member to support independent journalism.

Become a member

Already a member? Sign in here.

Hyperallergic is turning 15!

… and we’re throwing a party in New York City that you won’t want to miss! Tickets are available now! Get the details.

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (3)

Elliot Erwitt, contact sheet for “Chihuahua,” New York City (1946) (© Elliot Erwitt/ Magnum Photos)

Bruno Barbey’sshotof protesters clashing with cops in Paris in 1968; David Seymour’s photograph of a young Sophia Loren posing on her apartment balcony in 1955; David Hurn’s shots of the Beatles atAbbey Road Studios in 1964; and Thomas Hoepker’simage of Muhammad Ali flexing for the camera in Chicago in 1966: these are a few of the most famous photographs taken by members of thelegendaryphotographer cooperative Magnum Photos. The original contact sheets from these influential shoots, among many others, are now on view at Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam. They reveal thefull stories behind iconic images, the less polished shots the photographers chose to leave out.

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (4)

Bruno Barbey, contact sheet for student protests in Paris (1968) (© Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos)

In conjunction withthe exhibition, aspart of its first Magnum Seasonal Benefit, Magnumhas made prints of these contact sheets available to the public. Contact prints by legendary Magnum photographers, including Martin Parr, Eve Arnold, David Hurn, Elliot Erwitt, Bruno Barbey, Burt Glinn, Guy Le Querrec, Herbert List, Thomas Hoepker, David Seymour, and more, are available starting today. Half of the proceeds from orders of the prints will go tothe International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

In the age of Photoshop and rampantretouching, the old cliche “the camera neverlies” no longer holds true. It’s stokeda national obsession with original, unedited images from high-profile photo shoots, especially of celebrities. With theprinted contact sheet becoming a thing of the past, this collection ofarchival negatives plays into that obsession, evoking nostalgia for a time when photographsseemed more trustworthy.

From Burt Glinn’s shots of Elizabeth Taylor on the set ofSuddenly Last Summerto Guy Le Querrec’s documentation of the 1969 Paris Jazz Festival, they reveal how these photographers’ dynamic visions shaped their subjects’ legacies. Like reading theunedited, marked-up manuscript of a famous author, these ephemera offer insight into photographers’ creative processes — they remind youjust how much work by even the best-knownartistsnever sees the light of day.

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (6)

Dennis Stock, contact sheet for James Dean, New York City (1955) (© Dennis Stock / Magnum Photos)

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (7)

Martin Parr, contact sheet for The Last Resort(1985) (© Martin Parr / Magnum Photos)

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (8)

Eve Arnold, contact sheet depicting Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift practicing a scene during the filming of The Misfits, Nevada, USA (1960) (© Eve Arnold / Magnum Photos)

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (9)

David Seymour, contact sheet of photographs of Sophia Loren on her balcony in Italy (1955) (© David Seymour / Magnum Photos)

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (10)

David Hurn, contact sheet depicting The Beatles in London’s Abbey Road Studios, where many of their most famous records were made examining the script of the film A Hard Days Night. (1964) (© David Hurn / Magnum Photos)

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (11)

Thomas Hoepker, contact sheet from shoot with Muhammad Ali in Chicago (1966) (© Thomas Hoepker / Magnum Photos)

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (12)

Hiroji Kubota, contact sheet of Golden Rock at Shwe Pyi Daw (© Hiroji Kubota / Magnum Photos)

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (13)

Herbert List, contact sheet from shoot of dog in Italy (© Herbert List/Magnum Photos)

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (14)

Burt Glinn, contact sheet from shoot of Elizabeth Taylor on the film set of Suddenly Last Summer (1959) (© Burt Glinn / Magnum Photos)

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (15)

Werner Bischof, contact sheet from shoot of Swiss Mountain Peaks (1941) (© Werner Bischof / Magnum Photos)

Go here to browse the selection of historic Magnum contact prints, available for $175 each until December 1.

Magnum Contact Sheets is on view at Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam (Keizersgracht 609,1017 DS Amsterdam) until December 9.

h/t FeatureShoot

Carey Dunne

Carey Dunne is a Brooklyn-based writer covering arts and culture. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Baffler, The Village Voice, and elsewhere.More by Carey Dunne

  • Christmas Comes Early With Bounty of Eric Adams Indictment Memes
  • Low Morale and High Attrition Plague Wexner Center for the Arts
  • What I Learned From Moo Deng’s Spiral From Adorable to Terrifying
  • Required Reading
  • The Unsung Labor of New York’s Henna Artists

The Latest

The Affordable Art Fair Is Hotter Than Ever

The NYC show for all types of collectors, open through Sunday, has been attracting more visitors thanks to what organizers say is a “sweet spot” in prices.

by Maya Pontone

Two Van Gogh Works “Souped” in Protest of Climate Activists’ Jail Sentences

“Future generations will regard these prisoners of conscience to be on the right side of history,” Just Stop Oil members said as they splashed the paintings.

by Isa Farfan

Sponsored

Tristan Duke’s “Gaze of the Glacier” Captures Our Planet on the Brink

Duke’s photo, video, and experimental media inventions in SITE Santa Fe’s newGlacial Opticsexhibition engage glacier ice as medium and collaborator.

Required Reading

This week: a 200-year-old message in a bottle, the poetry of Marcellus Williams, Ta-Nehisi Coates changes his mind, a new Mozart banger, and much more.

by Lakshmi Rivera Amin

Lebanese Arts Organizations Scramble as Israel Ramps Up Airstrikes

Institutions are closing their doors to the public as a potential ground invasion looms in the violence-stricken country.

by Maya Pontone

Sponsored

Study the Intersection of Art and Africana Studies With the Crossroads Cohort at Tulane University

Applications are now open for the inaugural cohort of this new interdisciplinary graduate program based in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Christmas Comes Early With Bounty of Eric Adams Indictment Memes

The humans (and rats) of New York are rejoicing.

by Lisa Yin Zhang

Low Morale and High Attrition Plague Wexner Center for the Arts

Hyperallergic spoke to current and former workers who alleged staff mistreatment and impulsive decision-making by the museum’s director.

by Rhea Nayyar

Sponsored

Join SVA MA Curatorial Practice for Conversations With Curators and Artists

In these free online events, leading curators and artists from around the world will discuss exhibitions that have transformed their careers.

Ukrainian Artists Address the War Head-On, Obliquely, and Grittily

Amidst wreckage sites and bomb shelters, artists are making work, manufacturing drones, and celebrating life.

by Gregory Volk

Art as the Mother of Invention

No Prior Art at the Los Angeles Public Library shows off inventions and patents from unlikely creators and allows audiences to become inventors.

by Renée Reizman

See the Contact Sheets from 13 Legendary Photo Shoots (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Kimberely Baumbach CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 5427

Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kimberely Baumbach CPA

Birthday: 1996-01-14

Address: 8381 Boyce Course, Imeldachester, ND 74681

Phone: +3571286597580

Job: Product Banking Analyst

Hobby: Cosplaying, Inline skating, Amateur radio, Baton twirling, Mountaineering, Flying, Archery

Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.