The Mexican Suitcase catalogue, which accompanied the exhibition on view at the International Center of Photography from September 24, 2010–May 8, 2011, has been recognized by the American Association of Museums (AAM) in its 2011 Museum Publications Design Competition.
The publication was awarded the Frances Smyth-Ravenel Prize for Excellence in Publication Design. AAM honorees were selected from hundreds of entrants in the fields of exhibit design, publications, technological achievement, and more.
Considered lost since 1939, the so-called Mexican Suitcase is in fact three boxes containing 4,500 negatives documenting the Spanish Civil War by Robert Capa, Chim (David Seymour), and Gerda Taro. There are also several rolls of portraits of Capa and Taro by Fred Stein. Besides offering new images by these major photographers that provide a comprehensive overview of the war, the cache of negatives also includes previously unknown portraits of Ernest Hemingway, Federico Garcia Lorca, and Dolores Ibarruri (known as “La Pasionaria”).
“Capa, Chim, and Taro risked their lives to witness history in the making and show it to the world, and the Mexican Suitcase contains some of their most important works. Its recovery set in motion a profound shift in the study of these three photographers,” said ICP Assistant Curator Cynthia Young, who edited The Mexican Suitcase and organized the exhibition. “The material contained in the Mexican Suitcase documents a turning point in the history of photojournalism.”
Publication Details:
The Mexican Suitcase
The International Center of Photography, New York, NY
Designed by Martin Venezky/Appetite Engineers
Edited by Cynthia Young
Director of Publications: Philomena Mariani
Managing Editor: Eli J. Spindel
Published by ICP/Steidl, New York and Göttingen, 2009
Printed by Steidl, Göttingen