Alberto Korda
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Alberto Korda's photograph of Che Guevara |
Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez, better known as
Alberto Korda (
September 14,
1928 –
May 25,
2001) was a
Cuban photographer, famous for his
photo of Che Guevara.
Korda was born in
Havana, the son of a railway worker, and took many jobs before beginning as a photographer's assistant for unusual reasons. "My main aim was to meet women", he once confessed. He did succeed in his aim. His first wife, Natalia Menendez, became the first Cuban fashion model.
He was a photographer for the Cuban newspaper
Revolución in
1960 when he took the famous image. He never received any royalties for the image, although in
2000 he sued
Smirnoff over the use of the image in advertisement. Commenting on the illicit use of his photograph, the artist said, "As a supporter of the ideals for which
Che Guevara died, I am not averse to its reproduction by those who wish to propagate his memory and the cause of social justice throughout the world, but I am categorically against the exploitation of Che's image for the promotion of products such as
alcohol, or for any purpose that denigrates the reputation of Che". His out-of-court settlement of
US$50,000 was donated to the Cuban healthcare system. He said, "If Che were still alive, he would have done the same".
After the revolution Korda became
Fidel Castro's personal photographer for 10 years. From
1968 to
1978 he concentrated on underwater photography until a Japanese exhibition in 1978 stimulated international interest in his work. He appeared briefly in the pre-title sequence of
Wim Wenders' film
Buena Vista Social Club in 1999, although he was uncredited. In 2005, four years after his death, Alberto Korda starred as the protagonist in a full feature documentary entitled,
Kordavision, directed by
Hector Cruz Sandoval.
Korda suffered a fatal heart attack in
Paris in
2001 while presenting an exhibition of his work. He is buried in the
Colon Cemetery, Havana.
*
Biography at Netssa.com*
BBC News report on his death*
La página de Alberto Korda (interview conducted by Ciro Bianchi Ross)*
The story of the Korda's image of Che Guevara
