All the copies on display belong to the Throckmorton collection in New York and are signed and numbered. They are vintage copies and not the original prints, because transporting and displaying those would have meant extraordinary transportation and insurance costs. The exhibition wants to put forth the ability of these photographers in the creation of the take and the quality of exposure, in spite of the rudimentary techniques of those years.

Frida Kahlo with flowers on her hair, by Bernard Silberstein (circa 1940)

Copy in silver gelatine. Signed on the back.

Bernard Silberstein (EEUU, 1905-1999) built his international reputation as a photographer working for the National Geographic, The New York Times and other publications. This portrait of Mexican  artist Frida Kahlo was published in many art books.

Marilyn Monroe distorted, by Weegee (circa 1950)

Copy in silver gelatine

Weegee is Arthur H. Fellig's pseudonym (Ukraine, 1899-1968) and he began as a reporter. He photographed and absurdly-distorted but still recognisable Marilyn Monroe. He is considered a gossip photographer, a specialist in documenting the street mood of New York with his intense black and white photographs. He received no academic training.

Corpus Christi Procession, Ireland, by Henri Cartier-Bressson (circa 1962)

Vintage copy in silver gelatine. Numbered in the back.

Hyde Park, London, by Henri Cartier-Bresson (circa 1938)

Vintage copy in silver gelatine

Henri Cartier-Bresson (France, 1908-2004) dazzles us with a lady in the park. The photo shows clear  diagonal lines (like the one that goes from the top right to below left), which create a special rhythm. 

The other photo looks out of frame. A spot on the left (the back of the nun) seems to disturb the central image (the girls in their communion dresses). However, the spot gives vitality to the take. Cartier-Bresson never trimmed his negatives. He took photos practically throughout the world and was the first to have an exhibition at the Louvre Museum.

Untitled: flowers, by Robert Mapplethorpe (circa 1980)

Silver gelatine copy

Robert Mapplethorpe (USA, 1946-1989) was renown for his black-and-white large-scale photos of flowers and nudes. Although often considered pornographic, his work bordered perfection, with a studied equilibrium.

Plaza Acho, Lima, Perú, by Ruven Afanador (Circa 2001)

Silver gelatine copy

Ruven Afanador was born in Colombia in 1959 and at age 14 moved to the US, where he studied Art.  He travelled to Milano to polish his technique and there he learned to frame his images in richly textured landscapes. As a result, all his photos have an artistic approach. 

The lighting in the rooms and the glasses covering the copies (not anti-reflex) affect our enjoyment of the photos. However FoLa is very popular and this exhibition is really interesting.