Martin Munkacsi Peignoir in a light breeze, 1936One of several shows opening January 16th at the International Center of Photography draws from a newly discovered cache of Hungarian photographer Martin Munkacsi's negatives. There was another exhibition of his work at ICP a few years ago and it was truly stunning. Munkacsi (my Hungarian friend tells me it's pronounced kind of like "Moon-Kashi") was one of the most famous photographers in the world in his day, influencing greats such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Richard Avedon with his unique take on photo-journalism — and, later, on fashion photography through his work with Carmel Snow at Harper's Bazaar.
Left, Martin Munkacsi, 1933 / Right, Richard Avedon, 1969Here are some of my favorite Munkacsi images:
Martin Munkacsi, Berlin vs. Budapest, ca. 1928
Martin Munkacsi, Greta Garbo on vacation, ca. 1932
Martin Munkacsi, Lucile Brokaw on the Long Island Beach, 1933Munkacsi's Lost Archive runs January 16–May 3 at ICP. If you can't make it or want more images/info, Steidl released a great book on Munkacsi's life and work in 2006:
All images © Joan Munkacsi