More on Munkácsi

If you're interested in learning more about the Hungarian-born Martin Munkácsi (1896–1963), there is a new book by Klaus Honnef and F. C. Gundlach that my good friend Ailsa McWhinnie, Editor-in-Chief of Black & White Photography magazine, says is "absolutely superb and well worth the investment."

The book however has different publishers and different covers depending on where you are.

In England it looks like this (above) and is published by Thames & Hudson and is available on Amazon U.K. for £29.49;

And in the U.S. it looks like this (above) and is published by Steidl, and is available on Amazon U.S. for $40.95. I haven't checked other countries or other Amazons.

According to Photographic Artists and Innovators, Munkácsi was the first to take fashion photography out of the studio. He earned about $100,000 at the peak of his fame in 1940, which was more than any photographer had ever earned up until that time. That probably accounts for his famous quote: "A picture is not worth a thousand words. It's worth a thousand bucks."

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Mike  (thanks to Ailsa)

Comments

[Bas Scheffers]

And if you would like to own some prints of Martin Munkácsi's work:

http://www.lumas.com/?id=715&artist=298&motiv=442

I got their print of "Jungen am Ufer des Tanganyika Sees" and it's very good. Go for the framed version, the Halbe frames they use are very nice indeed.

[Roy Hammans]

Readers interested in Munkacsi may also like to search out the source from which I first encountered his wonderful work, back in the 1970s. The Creative Camera International Year Book 1977 carries an impressive portfolio, together with a biographical article and comment by Colin Osman.

As a bonus, the book also features extensive portfolios by Harry Callahan and Raymond Moore - all in all a fantastic selection of pictures. The book was published by Coo Press and copies may still be found from the usual secondhand book sources.

[Eoghan O'Neill]

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art currently has a major exhibition of Martin Munkacsi's photographs

[Gerry Morgan]

The photo that is on the cover of the UK edition is currently on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as part of their Munkácsi exhibition. But it is hung there at right angles to the way it's displayed on the book cover (woman's head is at top right). I think it's a more powerful composition the way it appears on the book cover. I wonder which way Munkácsi intended.