How famous photographs were taken? The exhibition at the Capa Centre invites the visitors to have a look how by now world famous photographs were born and the process of selection as well. The contact show photos in sequence, the way they came after one another on the original film roll. In the beginning, Henri Cartier-Bresson, a founding member that was notable for evaluating the work of the younger members on the basis of the contact strips. The visitors may be part of a special initiation ceremony. these copies keep track from moment to moment the creation of classic photos, those scenes that the photographers captured before the one that became famous unfolding before our very eyes.

The unique exhibition presents about 70 contact copies, together with the finally chosen one by great MAGNUM photographers: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Eve Arnold, Rene Burri, Philippe Halsman and Elliott Erwitt, Jim Goldberg, Alec Soth, Paolo Pellegrin and Trent Parke. Iconic Photographs of historic events will be hung on the walls, the Normandy invasion (Robert Capa), the 1968 Paris student riots (Bruno Barbey), Robert Kennedy's funeral (Paul Fusco), the Vietnam War (Philip Jones Griffiths) and the September 11 terrorist attack (Thomas Hoepker). Furthermore, portraits of Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Miles Davis, The Beatles of politicians, actors, artists and musicians will also be on display.