Did Robert Capa fake the ‘falling soldier’ photo?

Robert Capa's photo of a soldier falling backward from the impact of a shot to his head is one of the most famous images in the history of photography. But for decades people have argued that Capa staged the shot. In the hoax photo archive I have a brief summary of the controversy. I come down on the side of those who feel the photo wasn't staged.

Adding new fuel to the controversy, a Catalan newspaper now claims to have found evidence that Capa staged the shot. From The Independent:

The so-called "falling soldier" was not photographed near Cerro Muriano in Andalusia, as has been claimed, but about 50km to the south-west, near the town of Espejo far from the frontline on a day when there was no military action, a Catalan newspaper claims.
"Capa photographed his soldier at a location where there was no fighting," wrote the daily El Periodico on Friday. The paper carried out a detailed study of Capa's pictures taken in September 1936, three months after the conflict broke out.
"The real location, some 10km from an inactive battle front, demonstrates that the death was not real," the paper says. The claim is backed with photos taken very recently on a hillside near Espejo that show a mountainous skyline that appears to match exactly that of Capa's photo.

I haven't seen El Periodico's evidence, but I'm skeptical of their argument. After all, hasn't the soldier in the photo been identified?

Military Photos

Posted on Tue Jul 21, 2009


Comments

From El Periodico:

http://www.elperiodico.com/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAS&idtipusrecurs_PK=7&idnoticia_PK=630120

http://www.elperiodico.com/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAS&idtipusrecurs_PK=7&idnoticia_PK=630121

http://www.elperiodico.com/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAS&idtipusrecurs_PK=7&idnoticia_PK=630789

http://www.elperiodico.com/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAS&idtipusrecurs_PK=7&idnoticia_PK=630118
Posted by Unfairly Balanced  on  Wed Jul 22, 2009  at  03:01 AM
Wonder if this was what Peter Jackson was referencing in his satirical mockumentary film FORGOTTEN SILVER about a long-forgotten Kiwi film pioneer ( Starring Leaonard Maltin and Sam Neill in hilarious parts )?

In that, this NZ film director was exiled from the country after his nearly million dollar silent epic went bust, wound up filming the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil war, and dropping his clockwork camera while rushing forward to assist a wounded man . . . Accidentally films his own death by rifle fire.
Posted by D F Stuckey  on  Tue Sep 01, 2009  at  12:08 PM
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