The Magnum Photos archive—a collection of more than 200,000 photographs by some of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries' greatest image makers—is the most comprehensive accumulation of prints made by the distinguished photo cooperative. Consistently and with striking artistry, Magnum's photographers have done more than simply document the far reaches of the globe; they have helped shape generations' understanding of the world around them. While many of its photographs have been widely published, until now no one has examined the Magnum archive itself. In Reading Magnum, experts from several fields investigate this visual archive, now residing at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, to discover how a select, influential group of visual authors has used the camera for an ambitious project of cultural interpretation and social commentary. The chapters in Reading Magnum are devoted to themes generated by a close reading of the archive—war and conflict, portraiture, geography, cultural life, social relations, and globalization. These themes are further developed by evocative portfolios of images, which suggest something of the depth and range of the photo agency, and by tracing the trajectory of several iconic images from annotated press print to distribution to eventual publication. Volume editor Steven Hoelscher provides an overview of the Magnum enterprise, and Alison Nordström offers an appreciation of the Magnum archive as a material record of information about the making and disseminating of photographs that is being lost as images on paper are replaced by images on screen. As a whole, the book's unique reading of the Magnum archive reveals patterns of intention, aesthetic vision, and political perspective that become legible only by viewing both the physical objects and the recorded images that constitute this remarkable collection.

This book is a biography of Magnum, told largely in the words of its photographers. It offers a unique perspective on half a century of world history from an extraordinary group of men and women who were front line witnesses at virtually every major event in the last fifty years. Wars, famines, natural disasters, social, political and environmental crises - Magnum photographers were there. They have been acute observers of the human condition, photographing the richest people in the world, the poorest, the least known and the most celebrated, from Marilyn Monroe to Che Guevara, JFK to Nelson Mandela, Picasso to Krushchev. This is a multi-layered story. At one level, it tells how a small group of photographrs - among them Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson and George Rodger - came together, established and nurtured a co-operative photographic agency that has survived against all the odds to become the most famous in the world. At a secondary level, it is the richly anecdotal story of the photographers themselves, their adventures around the world and their feelings about, and reactions to, their assignments.

A remarkable work, celebrating the moments when world-class Magnum photographers turned their lenses to one of photography’s most rewarding subjects: cycling It’s no surprise that some of the world’s finest photographers have shot a bicycle race at some point in their careers. Cycling embodies the elements of a great photograph—the human form, pushing itself to physical extremes, thrilling landscapes, the spectacle of the crowd. It also provides a perfect opportunity for reportage, social documentary, and street photography because it happens in real time, in real life, and in the public environment. The book is grouped into thematic chapters, featuring works by a range of Magnum photographers—who are among the most prestigious in the world—expertly curated and accompanied by descriptive captions. Each chapter also features a series of photographs by a single photographer, telling the story of an iconic moment, event, or scene . Chapters include: Riders—famous names and characters and what their work is all about; Fans and Crowds—the mixture of young and old, families, and late-night revelers; Racing—what it is to race a bike and be a part of the circus; Events—from the Tour de France to racing around a small Belgian town; Settings—the mountains, the city, and the velodrome; and Winning—the price and spoils of victory. Magnum Cycling is a celebration of a perfect union between the great artists who have captured those most fugitive elements in cycling: the personalities, emotions, and human endurance.

The ultimate collection of canine photography for the discerning dog lover with images selected from the renowned Magnum Photos archive. Magnum Dogs brings together a brilliantly diverse and entertaining selection of images that showcase man’s best friend, through the visual wit and skill of Magnum’s photographers. This collection features some 180 photographs of dogs from across the world—and highlights the depth of their relationships with humans. The book is organized into five thematic chapters—“Streetwise,” “Best in Show,” “It’s a Dog’s Life,” “At the Beach,” and “Behind the Scenes.” These encounters include immaculately coiffed showdogs captured in wryly observed photography from the likes of Martin Parr and Harry Gruyaert as well as privileged, intimate glimpses of Hollywood stars alongside their trusted, four-legged confidants, as seen through the lenses of Eve Arnold and Dennis Stock. Since the Magnum photo agency was founded eight decades ago, dogs have found their way into the collection’s most captivating images. Whether depicting pampered pooches lounging in Parisian apartments or beloved family dogs, these photos convey affection, humor, and insight into the universal human bond with canines. Packaged in an irresistible gift format, this is the perfect book for anyone, around the world, who is a “dog person” at heart.

Photographs of contemporary Veles are intertwined with fragments from an archaeological discovery also called 'the Book of Veles' -- a cryptic collection of 40 'ancient' wooden boards discovered in Russia in 1919, written in a proto-Slavic language. It was claimed to be a history of the Slavic people and the god Veles himself--the pre-Christian Slavic god of mischief, chaos and deception

At their best, the pictures add to our understanding of the surface event documented and reveal something profound about the people pushing that history forward. — The Los Angeles Times Available for the first time in an accessible paperback edition, this groundbreaking book presents a remarkable selection of contact sheets and ancillary material, revealing how the most celebrated Magnum photographers capture and edit the very best shots. Addressing key questions of photographic practice, the book illuminates the creative methods, strategies, and editing processes behind some of the world’s most iconic images. Featured are 139 contact sheets from sixty- nine photographers, as well as zoom-in details, selected photographs, press cards, notebooks, and spreads from contemporary publications including Life magazine and Picture Post. Further insight into each contact sheet is provided by texts written by the photographers themselves or by experts chosen by the members’ estates. Many of the acknowledged greats of photography are featured, including Henri Cartier- Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, and Inge Morath, as well as such members of Magnum’s latest generation as Jonas Bendiksen, Alessandra Sanguinetti, and Alec Soth. The contact sheets cover over seventy years of history, from Robert Capa’s Normandy landings and the Paris riots of 1968 via Bruno Barbey, to images of Che Geuvara by René Burri, Malcolm X by Eve Arnold, and portraits of classic New Yorkers by Bruce Gilden.

"Since its founding in 1947, the legendary Magnum Photos agency has been telling its own story: Its photographers were concerned witnesses to history and artists on the hunt for decisive moments; their pictures were humanist documents of the postwar world. Based in unprecedented archival research, The Decisive Network peels back layers of the Magnum mythology to offer a new history of what it meant to shoot, edit, and sell news images after World War II. Between the 1940s and 1960s, Magnum expanded the human-interest story - about the everyday life of ordinary people - to global dimensions while bringing the aesthetic of news pictures into new markets. Its best-known work started as humanitarian aid promotion, travel campaigns, corporate publicity, and advertising. Working with this range of clients, Magnum made photojournalism integral to visual culture. Yet Magnum's photographers could not have done this alone. This book unpacks the collaborative nature of photojournalism as it transpired on a daily basis, focusing on how picture editors, sales agents, spouses, and publishers helped Magnum photographers succeed in their assignments and achieve fame. The Decisive Network concludes in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when, amidst the decline of magazine publishing and the rise of an art market for photography, Magnum turned to photo books and exhibitions to manage its growing picture archives and consolidate its brand. In that moment, Magnum's photojournalists became artists and their assignments turned into oeuvres. Such ideas were necessary publicity, and they also managed to shape discussions about photography for decades. Bridging art history, media studies, cultural history, and the history of communication, this book transforms our understanding of the photographic profession and the global circulation of images in the pre-digital world"--