HCB & ME.....

[albert knapp md]

My wife and I were visiting my parents this week for Thanksgiving

and the conversation turned onto photography. My father and I

are the photomavens and gadget geeks but I mentioned HCB as

one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. My mother

looked up and said "Oh, Henri? He was the sweetest person..."

Apparently, my mother and maternal grandparents were very

close friends of HCB and he would stay with my grandparents

whenever he came to New York. My mother was particularly

friendly with HCB's younger sister, an accomplished artist in

here own right. HCB was a very thoughtful, considerate and

quiet-almost reclusive. HCB had a great sense of humor and

would spend hours playing with my mother and my uncle.

Needless to say, I almost choked on the stuffing as I listened in

amazement.

[Tony Rowlett]

What an amazing discovery. Nobody's really that many handshakes away from anybody else, but it's sure cool to find stuff like this out. I'd be interested to find out more about your mother's and grandparents' relationship with HCB, stuff they did together, etc. We have at least one forum member here who has actually seen HCB in action, but I won't mention his name. He'll probably speak up here, though! What a living legend.

[matthew_kerr]

It's not just amazing that you could have this name dropping opportunity but that you do indeed have a link with history. That you can learn about someone like that first hand (eyewitness, second hand or whatever) is an amazing thing. There are some things that you can never really understand when reading about them in a book. I know it always comes as a shock when I can learn something from my parents.

[hadji_singh]

Talk about six degrees of separation. Next year, you should invite

HCB to Thanksgiving dinner.

[ray .]

Gee, it seems awfully strange that you would'nt have heard this until now. Maybe you should check with your mother to make sure there's nothing else important she's forgotten to tell you. Einstein spent summers sleeping in the attic? ;)

[michael_bender]

If you are not pulling our collective legs,

 

talk more, find out details - jokes, stories he liked or told, when he stayed, has he talked about art or work - and publish here as a bunch of personal recollections.

 

You see, he is known as one of the most reclusive, "invisible" presences, both photographically and in life, so you'll meet full appreciation if something of his personality becomes known. What we are not interested in is tabloid-style stories, however - but would like reminiscenses that portray him as a person. Currently he is more of an icon ;)))

[david j.lee]

albert, those are the kind of stories i love to hear, you just made

my week. on the other side,it seems to me that you didn`t speak

very often with your folks!!, but i guess the same happens to all of

us.i took photography again just after my father died..i wished i

did it earlier,he loved it.....

 

david lee

[david j.lee]

.....by the ,can you find out for me with your mom if HCB left some

old bag or any old camera that probably nobody wants,and in

case he did,can you please ask your mother to contact me...?

 

thanks...david lee

[tanteh]

OK, this will be my coming out today: Who is HCB?

 

Gruss, Carsten

[albert knapp md]

It is quite amazing isn't it! I speak to my parents quite frequently

but the situation never came up and my parents are rather

reticent ! Nevertheless, my mother remembers him as kind and

having a great sense of humor. No camera bag was ever left at

their home and my mother doesn't recall him taking any photos

at home. In sum, a very distinguished gentleman with a

delightful sister. Their friendship lasted from the mid 1930s

through about 1960 or so. Never an argument, it just petered out

as both sides had increased obligations.

[arie]

HCB is indeed a very nice man. On June 7 of this year (date of my birthday!), I received from him a congratulation letter (on the back of one of his pictures) for my wedding (which occurred on August 4, 2002 in Paris). I have a lot of admiration for this artist.

 

Arie

[pcg]

Cool story! What a wonderful discovery to share. Thanks!