Label Text
George Rodger established his career as a photojournalist in England, documenting the
London Blitz and its aftermath. His work led to him joining the staff of the United States-based Time and Life magazines in 1939. As a war correspondent during WWII, he
traveled throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and India, and covered the
Japanese invasion of Burma, the North African and Italian campaigns, the D-Day assault,
and the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. In 1947 he, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, and Chim (David Seymour) founded the renowned photography
agency Magnum, and he became the group's correspondent for Africa. Rodger was
known as “the quiet Englishman” because of his self-effacing demeanor. After WWII,
Rodger focused on photographing the people, culture, and nature of Africa, often
reporting for National Geographic and lauded for his empathetic imagery and ability to
capture photos of events and ceremonies previously unrecorded by European
photographers.
Published ReferencesHumanity and Inhumanity: The Photographic Journey of George Rodger. London: Phaidon, 1994, p. 74
Caiger-Smith, Martin and Osman, Colin. George Rodger Magnum Opus: Fifty Years of Photojournalism. London: Nishen, 1987, p. 29
Published ReferencesHumanity and Inhumanity: The Photographic Journey of George Rodger. London: Phaidon, 1994, p. 74
Caiger-Smith, Martin and Osman, Colin. George Rodger Magnum Opus: Fifty Years of Photojournalism. London: Nishen, 1987, p. 29
DimensionsSheet: 7 x 9 13/16 in. (17.8 x 24.9 cm)
Image: 6 5/8 x 9 9/16 in. (16.8 x 24.3 cm)
Image: 6 5/8 x 9 9/16 in. (16.8 x 24.3 cm)
Accession Number 2025.162
Classificationsphotograph
InscriptionsII [illegible] queue [illegible] diale [illegible] (verso u,l red ink)
7500 (verso u,r graphite)
GR/m 3353 (verso u,r graphite)
EGYPTE (verso c,l graphite)
Western Desert - 1941
West of Gazala a young
German soldier lies dead
beside his bicycle. (verso l,c graphite)
RoGYLo2oWoooo5/o5 (verso u,c graphite)
MarksREF - SET - ARCH (verso u,c stamp in red ink)
STORY...20C (number written in black ink)
ROLL...5 (numbers written in black ink, 41 crossed out)
FRAME...9 (number written in black ink) (verso u,c stamp in black ink)
COPYRIGHT
GEORGE RODGER
MAGNUM PHOTOS (verso c, stamp in black ink)
[barcode]E00070499
ORIGINAL
MAGNUM PHOTOS (verso u,r printed on white sticker)
ProvenanceJeff Perry; Des Moines Art Center [gift from the previous, 2025]
