“Cornell Capa: Concerned Photographer” in the International Center of Photography is an exhibition that exemplifies the meaning of photojournalism. The work of Cornell Capa, a photographer for Magnum and Life magazine, spreads from Guatemala to Argentina to Nicaragua and covers assassinations, government reforms and political revolutions. At the time, his images let people see into a world that has never been seen before, and to this day has never been seen the same way since. Not only did his pictures educate the world, but they influenced a whole new generation of future photojournalists.
One of the more stirring photographs in the exhibit is the image of Anastasio and Luis Somoza in a police station after the assassination of their father, Anastasio Somoza the dictator of Nicaragua. The expressions on their faces just give a sense of despair. One brother seems to be in mourning with his hands folded and head bowed, while the other has a cigarette in one hand and a gun in the other. The picture shows a combination of grief and vengeance in a way that can not be set up or posed for.
Another image that was taken in Nicaragua was one of political rebels that were arrested after the assassination of Somoza. The never ending numbers of prisoners, one behind the other behind barbed wires, show how even after a leader is murdered the government still upholds his rules even if the people strongly protest it. Though it may sound a little too exaggerated, the inmates gazing at the camera behind the wires seem reminiscent of the holocaust prison camps.
Another set of images that are displayed in the Capa exhibition is one that follows Robert Kennedy on the campaign trail in New York. It shows just how popular he was back then and demonstrates how much people believed in him. The relaxed security is something that you will rarely see in today’s political campaigns, especially for the more popular candidates. Seeing the crowds generated by Kennedy’s appearance and the excitement of his supporters is almost a parallel to Barack Obama’s campaign. Viewing these images makes you wonder how the world might have been if Robert Kennedy was not assassinated.
Capa also traveled to Argentina during the rally called for by three time Argentine president Juan Perón his wife Eva. The thousands of people coming out and showing their support for Perón reveals how loved and respected he and his wife were at the time. The images also show how fast a nation can turn on you. In images dated just one month after the huge rally, people can be seen burning images of Peron and cheering on troops as they begin to overthrow his government. Without Capa’s images, these historic moments in Argentina’s history may not have been captured in film for the world to see.
Cornell Capa’s images bring new light the field of photojournalism. He traveled around the world showing Americans what life was like in places many people have never heard of. His work showed no prejudice and let the observer decide what the image stood for. The collection of photographs displayed in the International Center of Photography is only a taste of how talented Capa was, and even though he passed away earlier this year, his work will forever live on.