Magnum Contact Sheets reveals how Magnum photographers have captured and edited their best shots from the 1930s to the present. The contact sheet, a direct print of a roll or sequence of negatives, is the photographer's first look at what he or she has captured on film, and provides a uniquely intimate glimpse into their working process. It records each step on the route to arriving at an image—providing a rare behind-the-scenes sense of walking alongside the photographer and seeing through their eyes. Including both celebrated icons of photography and lesser-known surprises, the exhibition functions as an "epitaph" to the contact sheet, now rendered obsolete by digital photography. Through these fascinating and usually private images, the exhibition celebrates what and how photographers saw for nearly a century. Coinciding with the publication of Magnum Contact Sheets (Thames & Hudson), edited by ICP Curator Kristen Lubben, the exhibition includes a selection of some of the 139 contact sheets in the book.

A series of film frames of an older women doing her makeup with closeups of her lips and eyelids.
A series of film frames of an older women doing her makeup with closeups of her lips and eyelids.
A series of film frames about a spaceship crash landing on a green field.
A series of six frames from an surrealist scene staring Dali.
Photography exhibit at ICP for Magnum photography.
An exhibition at ICP.
A Robert Capa photography exhibit at ICP.

Special Thanks

This exhibition was made possible with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. It is organized in association with Magnum Photos.