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Nota del Editor.-
ENGLISH
En la página 149 de su ensayo Controversias sobre el catálogo razonado de Gerda Taro, publicado por la revista Discursos Fotográficos (publicación semestral del Programa de Postgraduación en Comunicación de la Universidad Estatal de Londrina (Estado de Paraná, Brasil) v.8, n.13, año 2012, en formato PDF,

José Manuel Susperregui Echeveste comenta una fotografía (Figura 4) hecha por Robert Capa en la zona de Cerro Muriano el 5 de Septiembre de 1936, así como un reencuadre de la zona izquierda de la misma (Figura 5), diciendo:

" Las imágenes 4 y 5 son de Robert Capa durante un mitin en la Finca de Villa Alicia cerca de Cerro Muriano. En la primera, un miliciano está arengando al resto del grupo formado exclusivamente por hombres a excepción de una mujer que asoma su cabeza por el lado izquierdo, como se puede observar en el recuadro (Figura 5). El parecido de este rostro femenino con Gerda Taro es inconfundible. En esta ocasión Taro asiste a la arenga como una militante más del Frente Popular mientras Robert Capa realiza su trabajo de reportero ".

Sin citar la fuente de la información.

Dicha información apareció hace dos años en el artículo publicado por elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com el 1 de agosto de 2010, cuyo autor es José Manuel Serrano Esparza y titulado :

"Gerda Taro: Centenario de su Nacimiento e Identificación en Una Fotografía Hecha el 5 de Septiembre de 1936 en la Zona de Cerro Muriano"

cuya solicitud de inscripción de derechos fue presentada en el Registro General de la Propiedad Intelectual de Madrid el 4 de Agosto de 2010, siendo practicada la inscripción de derechos en el Registro General de la Propiedad Intelectual de Madrid mediante Resolución de fecha 22 de Marzo de 2011 número M-006495/2010 .

Por tanto, el descubrimiento de que la cabeza de mujer que se aprecia a la izquierda del todo de la mencionada imagen es la de Gerda Taro, fue obra de José Manuel Serrano Esparza, al igual que el descubrimiento de la ubicación de la foto en la Finca de Villa Alicia, cerca de Cerro Muriano, fue también obra de José Manuel Serrano Esparza, ambos hallazgos realizados durante la última semana de Julio de 2010 y que fueron subidos a elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com en el anteriormente mencionado artículo del 1 de Agosto de 2010.

Dichos hallazgos fueron fruto de muchos años de esfuerzo e investigación llevados a cabo por José Manuel Serrano Esparza .


Por otra parte, la afirmación de que Gerda Taro no hizo fotografías durante su primer año en España y que únicamente estuvo con Capa durante 1936 en calidad de acompañante es una completa falacia, ya que está plenamente demostrado por los profundos estudios llevados a cabo por Irme Schaber (máxima especialista mundial en Gerda Taro, que ha dedicado casi veinte años de su vida al estudio de la fotoperiodista alemana de origen judío, desde que en 1994 publicó su libro Gerda Taro fotoreporterin im spanischen Bürgerkriek con la editorial Jonas Verlag, siendo además en 2007 una de las editoras del extraordinario libro Gerda Taro publicado por ICP/Steidl), Kristen Lubben (Associate Curator of ICP New York, notable experta en Gerda Taro - fue una de las editoras del libro Gerda Taro ICP Steidl- así como autoridad internacional en fotografía con obras maestras como Magnum Contact Sheets), Cynthia Young  (ICP Curator, que junto con Kristen Lubben organizó con mucho trabajo la exhibición mundial itinerante Gerda Taro que estuvo sucesivamente activa entre  Octubre de 2008 y April de 2011 en la  Barbican Art Gallery London, el Milan FORMA, el Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña, el Nederlands Fotomuseum, el Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, el Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid y la Universidad de Salamanca) y elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com que Gerda Taro hizo muchas fotografías durante 1936 en Barcelona, el Frente de Aragón, Madrid, Cerro Muriano y Espejo, etc, utilizando una Rolleiflex de formato medio 6 x 6 cm (que cambiaría por una Leica II Model D en Febrero de 1937, aunque siguió haciendo algunas fotos con su Rolleiflex de formato medio hasta principios de Marzo de 1937), lo cual tuvo un notable mérito, no sólo porque su experiencia fotografiando era mucho menor que la de Capa, sino porque durante dicho año 1936 llevó una cámara de mucho mayor peso y volumen que las Leicas de Capa, con el inconveniente añadido de que al tratarse de una cámara que utilizaba rollo de 120 con sólamente 12 disparos (a diferencia de las Leicas de Capa que usaban carrete de 35 mm con 36 disparos), ello la obligaba a tener que seleccionar al máximo sus imágenes por el riesgo constante de quedarse sin película o tener que extraer cada dos por tres el rollo de 120 agotado e insertar uno nuevo rápidamente en mitad de la acción.

En otro orden de cosas, la razón por la que Gerda Taro no aparece con la Rolleiflex de formato medio 6 x 6 cm con la que hizo muchas fotos en España durante 1936, radica en que durante dicho año continuó plenamente en vigor el acuerdo al que habían llegado Endre Enrö Friedmann y Taro para comercializar las fotos realizadas por ambos con el crédito Robert Capa de un por entonces supuesto fotógrafo norteamericano que era en realidad el joven reportero húngaro Endre Enrö Friedmann, con el objetivo de intentar vender más, por lo que Gerda Taro evitó casi siempre durante 1936 aparecer con su cámara de formato medio en ninguna fotografía posando con milicianos, milicianas o en otros contextos, para que no se descubriera la realidad, que era que ambos estaban sacando fotos en distintos frentes, Capa con sus Leicas de 35 mm y Taro con su Rolleiflex de formato medio 6 x 6 cm, aunque a todas las imágenes se les ponía el crédito Robert Capa, un ardid con el que hasta Febrero de 1937 Gerda Taro no sólo estuvo de acuerdo, sino que fue ella quien creó dicha estrategia, sobre todo por motivos de supervivencia, ya que los años 1934, 1935 e incluso 1936 fueron duros para ambos, con constantes problemas económicos, mientras que a partir de Febrero de 1937, Gerda Taro decidió independizarse como fotógrafa, su crédito comenzó a aparecer en distintas publicaciones indicando claramente su autoría, y utilizó a partir de entonces hasta su muerte una Leica II (Model D) con objetivo Leitz Elmar 5 cm f/2, que a partir de finales de Mayo de 1937 (momento en que Capa cambia a Contax II) complementó con el uso de una de las Leicas que habían sido utilizadas por Capa anteriormente en España y que éste la prestó: una Leica III con objetivo Leitz Summar 5 cm f/2.

Ese es el motivo por el que a diferencia de 1936, existen algunas fotografías de 1937 en las que Gerda Taro aparece posando con cámara Leica, ya que durante dicho año (a a diferencia de 1936) no le interesaba ocultar su autoría, sino todo lo contrario.

Existe además una prueba irrefutable de que Gerda Taro en absoluto vino a España como simple "acompañante de Capa en los mítines durante 1936" sino como fotógrafa de guerra con una cámara de formato medio 6 x 6 cm, y es el relato de Clemente Cimorra sobre la Marcha de la Acción de Cerro Muriano, escrito el 6 de Septiembre de 1936 y aparecido en el diario La Voz de Madrid el 8 de Septiembre de 1936 con respecto a unos hechos que habían ocurrido durante la tarde-noche del 5 de Septiembre de 1936, cuando dicho periodista español vió a Gerda Taro y Robert Capa haciendo fotografías cada uno con una cámara en sus manos en la zona de Las Malagueñas (cota de 589 metros próxima a Cerro Muriano en la que se hallaba el puesto de mando avanzado republicano - cuyo jefe era el comandante Juan Bernal- en un pequeño palacete denominado Casa de Las Malagueñas).

Clemente Cimorra, en el epígrafe "VU" Y "REGARDS"  de dicha crónica, menciona:

´ Al alcanzar la Casa de "La Malagueña", dos muchachos jóvenes, casi dos chiquillos - ella y él -, tiran de mi  atención. Inermes, sin más objeto en las manos que sendos tomavistas fotográficos, sin mostrar miedo alguno, espían los movimientos de un avión, que aletea en vertical intranquilizadoramente sobre sus cabezas. ´.

Es decir, Clemente Cimorra ve a ambos fotoperiodistas, Capa (que trabaja para Vu) y Gerda Taro (que trabaja para Regards) haciendo fotos, cada uno con su propia cámara (durante los años veinte y treinta era muy frecuente en España denominar erróneamente tomavistas a las cámaras fotográficas, mientras que a partir de mediados de los años sesenta, década de los setenta y principios de los ochenta recibieron tal denominación las cámaras de Super 8 mm), durante las horas finales de ataque de las tropas marroquíes de Tabor de Regulares al mando de Sáenz de Buruaga que finalmente capturarían la Cota de Las Malagueñas durante la noche del 5 de Septiembre de 1936.

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Editor´s Note.-
SPANISH
On page 149 of his essay Controversias sobre el catálogo razonado de Gerda Taro (Controversies on the reasoned catalogue of Gerda Taro), published by the Discursos Fotográficos magazine ( a six-monthly publication of the Program of Postgraduates in Communication of the State University of Londrina (State of Paraná, Brazil) v.8,n.13, year 2012, in PDF format,

José Manuel Susperregui Echeveste comments a photograph (Figure 4) made by Robert Capa in the area of Cerro Muriano on September 5, 1936, saying:

´ Images 4 and 5 were made by Robert Capa during a meeting in the Finca of Villa Alicia near Cerro Muriano. In the first one, a militiaman is addressing to the rest of the group exclusively made by men, with the exception of a woman whose head sticks out on the left side, as can be observed in the enlargement (figure 5). The great similarity of this feminine face with Gerda Taro´s one is unmistakable. This time, Taro attends the rally as a further militant of the Popular Front, while Robert Capa makes his photojournalistic work ´.

Without citing the source of the information.

That information appeared two years ago in the article published by elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com on August 1, 2010, whose author is José Manuel Serrano Esparza and titled :

Gerda Taro: Centenary of Her Birthday and Identification on a September 5, 1936 Picture Made in Cerro Muriano Area

whose application of rights inscription was presented in the General Registry of the Intellectual Property of Madrid on August 4, 2010, being the rights inscription made in the Registry of the Intellectual Property of Madrid by Resolution of date March 22, 2011 number M-006495/2010 .

Therefore, the finding that the head of the woman which can be seen on far left of the aforementioned image is Gerda Taro´s one was made by José Manuel Serrano Esparza, in the same way as the discovery of the location of the picture in the Finca of Villa Alicia, near Cerro Muriano, which was also made by José Manuel Serrano Esparza, both findings having been made during the last week of July 2010, and appeared in our photographic blog elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com in the previously quoted article of date August 1, 2010 .

Those findings were the fruit of a lot of years of strenuous efforts and research made by José Manuel Serrano Esparza .


On the other hand, the statement that Gerda Taro didn´t make any pictures during her first year in Spain in 1936 and that she was only with Capa as a companion, is an utter fallacy, because it has been totally proved by the deep studies fulfilled by Irme Schaber (top world expert on Gerda Taro, who has devoted almost twenty years of her life to the deep study of the German photojournalist pictures since 1994, year in which she published her book Gerda Taro fotoreporterin im spanischen Bürgerkriek with Jonas Verlag editorial, also being one of the editors of the extraordinary book Gerda Taro ICP Steidl in 2007), Kristen Lubben (Associate Curator of ICP New York, a remarkable expert on Gerda Taro - she was one of the editors of Gerda Taro ICP Steidl great book in 2007- and an international authority on photography with masterpieces like Magnum Contact Sheets book), Cynthia Young (ICP Curator, who along with Kristen Lubben organized with a lot of effort the great travelling exhibition Gerda Taro which was consecutively active between October 2008 and April 2011 at the Barbican Art Gallery London, Milan FORMA, Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña, Nederlands Fotomuseum, Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Círculo de Bellas Artes of Madrid and University of Salamanca) and elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com that Gerda Taro made a lot of photographs during 1936 in Barcelona, Aragón Front, Madrid, Cerro Muriano and Espejo using a 2 ¼ x 2 ¼ medium format Rolleiflex (which she would change for a Leica II Model D in February 1937, though she went on getting some pictures with her medium format Rolleiflex until early March 1937), which was highly praiseworthy, not only because her experience photographing was lesser, but because during that year 1936 she used a much heavier and bulkier camera than the two Leicas used by Capa, with the added disadvantage that on being a camera using 120 rolls with only 12 shots (unlike Capa´s Leicas that used 35 mm film with 36 shots), it made her have to select her pictures to the utmost, because of the constant risk of running out of film or having to draw the finished 120 roll and insert a new one in the middle of the action.

In addition, the reason for which Gerda Taro doesn´t appear with her 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 medium format Rolleiflex with which she made a lot of pictures in Spain during 1936, is because throughout that year it was still in full effect the agreement that had been reached by Endre Enrö Friedmann and Taro to commercialize the photographs made by both of them with the credit Robert Capa of a then supposed successful American photographer who was really the young Hungarian photojournalist Endre Enrö Friedmann, with the aim of selling more, so Gerda Taro evoided almost always during 1936 to appear with her medium format camera in any picture posing with Republican militiamen, militiawomen or in other contexts, in order that the reality (id est, that both of them were taking a lot of pictures in different fronts, Capa with his 35 mm Leicas and Taro with her medium format 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 Rolleiflex, though every image was put the credit Robert Capa), a ruse with which until February 1936 she not only agreed but it was she who had created that strategy, above due to survival reasons, because the years 1934, 1935 and even 1936 were hard for both of them, suffering from constant economical shortages, while from February 1937, Gerda taro decided to become independent as a photojournalist, her credit began to appear in a number of magazines clearly indicating her authorship as Taro, and used since then until her death a Leica II (Model D) with Leitz Elmar 5 cm f/2, which from late May 1937 (moment in which Capa changed to a Contax II) complemented with the use of one of the Leicas that had previously been used by Capa in Spain and which was lent by him to her: a Leica III with Leitz Summar 5 cm f/2.

That´s why unlike 1936, there are some picture of 1937 in which gerda taro appears posing with a Leica camera, because during that year (unlike 1936) she wasn´t interested in concealing her authorship, but just the opposite.

Besides, there´s further irrefutable evidence that Gerda Taro didn´t come to Spain as a ´ mere companion of Capa in the meetings during 1936 ´ but as a war photographer using a binocular 2 ¼ x 2 ¼ medium format camera, with which she made a lot of pictures during that year.

It is the account made by the Spanish journalist Clemente Cimorra on the March of the Action in Cerro Muriano, written on September 6, 1936 and published in La Voz newspaper of Madrid in its number of September 8, 1936, regarding the facts that had happened during the evening-night of September 5, 1936, when this Spanish journalist met and watched Gerda Taro and Robert Capa taking pictures, each one with his/her own camera in his/her hands, in the area of Las Malagueñas (a 589 m hill near Cerro Muriano on whose summit was the Republican advanced command post – whose chief was commander Juan Bernal- inside a big country house called Casa de Las Malagueñas).

Clemente Cimorra, in the epigraph “VU” AND “REGARDS” of such account, remembers:

´ On arriving at the House of " La Malagueña ", two almost childlike youngsters - both she and he - , draw my attention. Unarmed, without any further object between their hands than their photographic cameras, showing no fear, they spy the movements of an aircraft which flutters vertically, disquietingly over their heads ´.

That´s to say, Clemente Cimorra watches both photojournalists, Capa (who is working for Vu) and Gerda Taro (who is working for Regards) getting pictures, each one using his/her own camera (in that period it was very frequent in Spain to call ´tomavistas´ to photographic cameras), during the final hours of the attacked launched by the Moroccan troops of Tabor of Regulares under the command of Francoist colonel Sáenz de Buruaga, which would eventually capture the Hill of Las Malagueññas and the Republican advanced command post during the night of September 5, 1936.

Translation into English of Clemente Cimorra´s account:

Report on the March of the action in Cerro Muriano

List of honour of combatants, episodes of the fight and
praise of a French marriage of journalists.

SHOTS IN THE STORM

In my last chronicle, which I don´t know whether it will arrive or when it will arrive at the newspaper, I wrote at six o´clock in the morning that, because of the features of the enemy fire, a hard day was foreseeable.

And it has been the going out, the breaking of the Cordovan siege through one of its sides, previously chosen the most defenseless place regarding the foresight of our troops.

At night they have crawled through the gulchies - the eternal tactics of the Moors -and they have appeared before the sun being high.

In a moment, the whole area of the mount has been ravagely fired with lights and shots.

On being the least sheltered hills, we´re bound to quickly organize the force. The attack is a thorough combined onslaught of aviation, intense big caliber ordnance and heavy rifle volleys.

As always happens in these cases, the instant in which only the reduced zone surrounding us -and not the global of the operation-, arrives soon. Major Bernal personally attends to the combats.

In the scale of enthusiasms there is every tone, from the greatest to the tiniest one. We must highlight the good ones - whom we see by us - so as to be fair and as a warning to the mediocre ones.

The first cheers for the Spanish Republic to infuse courage tension resound inside the throat of Francisco González, a simple private of the workers section of Graphic Arts in the War Ministry of Tenerife and now on duty with the Escort of the Republican Military Staff. With his face transfigured with harangue and thrust, he runs down the slope leaping over the dwarf oaks and dribbling the pines. We advance followed by a group of soldiers ready to defend the hill from further danger.

With the foe rifle muzzles right here, on this little hill in front of us, we protect a machine gun position.

A specially worthy soldier among the Republican military men, the number 34 infantry sergeant first class Julián Contreras Claros, who was already promoted because of merits in the action of Puente Mocho, sweaty, panting, directs the movements of our litle troop to advance with the machines.

Only the one being, though for a short time, by this man, can attest to how valuable is the management of a soldier in command when he puts on it all of his courage, stamina, manliness and love for what he´s defending.

I´m next to him, and following his instructions I place myself behind a strategic oak. Its trunk, wrinkled and veteran of scars, doesn´t cover my whole body. Sometimes I´d wish to be thin as a bad stick.

There´s a good handful of Republican militiamen near me. As well as looking for the dangerous place, they don´t change even slightly when they arrive at it.

Crouched on the same top peak, under a steady whistle of stainless-steel, Rafael Miralles, this good old man of the F.A.I is indeed among the most firm. A bit farther are Enrique Bañó and Felipe Colomé, respectively chief and assistant chief of militias, taking responsabilities on their own right.

In the din of battle, this kind of enumeration, perhaps resembling a bit some kind of society echoes, will seem absurd. But, under my word of honour that it can be made within an instant interval when one is trully physically here. Let´s mention likewise lieutenant Roig, sergeant La Cruz and captain la Romana.

And only the very good ones moving before my eyes defile in these notes.

The leaves beards of the oak - the good oak - protecting me are being scraped by bullets over my head. With a moan, they have torn the poor tree a branch apart.

We can see a row of Regulares Moroccan soldiers running on a ravine in front of us.

During a short calming of the shots, I bid farewell to these people and go more upwards to get news in the epicenter and headquarters of the scattered force.

The rifle barrel is burning to such an extent that it can´t be squeezed with one´s hand. On climbing up the short steep inclines, bullets speak their whistle language and pierce the mount eardrums. The dum-dum bullets metalize their impacts. Sure enough, this is a shooting exchange. The recollection of my times in Africa dwindles. Voices, running soldiers. Uproar, clangor and sweat.

" VU " and " REGARDS "

On arriving at the House of " La Malagueña ", two almost childlike youngsters - both she and he - , draw my attention. Unarmed, without any other object between their hands than their respective photographic cameras, showing no fear, they spy the movements of an aircraftwhich flutters vertically, disquietingly over their heads.

I address to them. A self-introduction amid the strife noises:

Robert Capa, from "Vu", journalist ...

- Gerda Pohorylle, from "Regards" ...

- Clemente Cimorra, I think that something like envoy from LA VOZ ... Currently, a dirty man, full of dust and yearning for our aviation ...

Believe me, this topic of the journalistic boldness is not myth or hyperbole. The two French youngsters I´m going with now want and manage to do the film of both the movie and the piece of information in the very flame of the event.

Next to me, they face the most struck by bullets places, and pledging themselves with a forward!, with which husband and wife encourage each other, they´d wish to photograph the steeled scowl of the enemy rifles. It´s the naive pluck of the unselfish youth looking for the document. Besides, gauche people, which is the interesting thing.

* * *

The nightfall brings about the shooting decrease in a lot of areas. At night we rest with our mouths thoroughly dried and the bodies perspired ...

An effective performance of our aviation is expected tomorrow ...

And combats will go on in a harsh way. Although a lot of mean people from many European
countries want to support the most rotten of Spain ...

                                                                                                                                                          CLEMENTE CIMORRA

Muriano, September 6th 1936.