Hi Linh,
today
I received your book “Kafka, Anti-Semite”, and I have read your essay
on Robert Capa with great pleasure. I found many elements in it which I
didn’t know.
About 20 years ago, the Capa
community tried to enhance the authenticity of the photo of the “Dying
Militiaman” by identifying him with an Andalusian anarchist well known
in his times, Federico Borrell, known as Taino.
In
2008, Milagros Soler, specialist in Andalusian history, examined this
theory and came to the conclusion that: “It is quite unlikely that
someone who was active from a very young age in the anarchist ranks,
contributing from clandestinity to forming the first committee of the C.
N. T. in Alcoy, founder of the Libertarian Youth in that town and
participated in the organization of the first anarcho-syndicalist
columns who went to the front to fight against fascism, could lend
himself to being the puppet of a photographer, whose reputation as a
party animal, liar and womanizer was already known at that time. It is
difficult to believe hypotheses that point to the fact that he could
lend himself to posing for Capa in a matter such as the hoax of the
death of a colleague. Never would a person with the public image that he
had have lent himself to the ridicule of his co-religionists or his
adversaries, lending himself to that game. It would have been very
difficult for him to explain his fake death, without having to accept
that he was participating in a hoax. That type of ‘humor’ would not have
been well understood in a conflict that generated more than a million
deaths.”
The portrait she paints of Endré Ernó
Friedmann (real name of Capa) is quite unflattering. The conclusion we
may draw from her essay is that the person disguised as a militiaman we
see in the photo, falling backwards and dramatically dropping his rifle,
is Capa himself; and that the photo was taken by Gerda Taro. Before
travelling to Andalusia, the couple posed in the streets of Barcelona,
disguised as militiaman and -woman. I attach a photo which shows they
enjoyed the civil war, more than any real militiamen would have done.
Of
course the essay was ignored by the mainstream press, mainstream
historians, and the many people who still profit from Capa’s fame.
However, it is still accessible in the internet:
http://www.culturandalucia.com/GCE/Taino/La_identidad_de_Taino_en_una_foto_atribuida_a_Robert_Capa_por_M_Soler_web.htm.
I look forward to reading the other essays in your book, and I will share my impressions with you if I may.
Sincerely,
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