This retrospective exhibition traces the development of Chim's career as an intellectually engaged photojournalist, placing his life and work in the broader context of 1930s–50s photography and European politics. Born Dawid Szymin in Warsaw, Chim (who after WWII published under the name David Seymour) began his career in 1933 photographing for leftist magazines in Paris. In 1936, along with his friends Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, Chim traveled to Spain to photograph the civil war in support of the Republican side, publishing regularly in all the major European and American picture magazines. Chim was an astute observer of 20th-century European political affairs, workers' rights, and culture, from the beginnings of the antifascist struggle to the rebuilding of countries ravaged by World War II. The exhibition showcases over 120 mainly vintage black-and white and color prints, publications in which his work originally appeared, contact sheets, and personal material. The exhibition is organized by ICP Curator Cynthia Young.
We Went Back
Photographs from Europe 1933–1956 by Chim
Special Thanks
This exhibition is made possible by The John and Anna Maria Phillips Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Bernard Lee Schwartz Foundation, Inc., by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and with the support of the Polish Cultural Institute New York.
