Magnum Magnum

Magnum Magnum showcases the best of Magnum members, celebrating the vision, imagination, and brilliance of both the acknowledged greats of photography in the twentieth century and the modern masters and rising stars of our time.

Since its founding in 1947 by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David “Chim” Seymour, the legendary cooperative Magnum Photos has powerfully chronicled the people, cultures, events, and issues of the time. Now, to commemorate its seventy-fifth anniversary, Magnum Photos and Thames & Hudson join forces to publish an updated and expanded edition of the original hit publication Magnum Magnum, which was previously presented in three formats and nine languages and sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

Organized by photographer, Magnum Magnum is built upon a founding concept that made Magnum such a unique creative environment; a collaborative process where each of the four founders edited the other’s photographs. This book evokes the same creative spirit, with each photographer selecting and critiquing six key works by another of the agency’s photographers, along with a commentary explaining the rationale behind their choices. This new edition, updated on the occasion of Magnum’s seventy-fifth anniversary, adds the twenty-five photographers who have joined Magnum in the last fifteen years. With more than 150 new photographs and over 700 pages, this book is the definition of an updated classic.

Brigitte Lardinois has been the director of the Photography and the Archive Research Centre (PARC) at University of the Arts London since 2018. Lardinois’ association with Magnum began in 1995 when she set up the cultural department of their agency in London. She has been involved in group exhibitions as well as solo shows, working closely with Henri Cartier-Bresson, Martin Parr, Josef Koudelka, Eve Arnold, Elliott Erwitt, and many others.