memoirs of a festival floozy : #25 henri cartier-bresson exhibition

@ the Dean Gallery.
The only downside to this truly superb exhibition, was that I had to peer over the shoulders of half of Edinburgh in order to view it. There are hundreds of photographs in 5 rooms.

Apparently HCB had planned much of the detail for this exhibition himself, before he died, aged 95, just over a year ago.

These weren’t just old photographs, a bit of reflective learning pointed that out. These were historical documents from the master of reportage photography, and the founder of modern day photojournalism. It sends a chill down your spine when you realise that some of the photos of Chinamen were taken in the forbidden City of Pekin a couple of days before the Communist forces entered, and that these old fellows probably died. HCB and his photos got out on the last civilian plane.

As Edinburgh is said to be the only UK venue on this exhibition's International tour, it is definitely worth seeing vaut le detour.

And even if you have no car, you can get a free National Galleries bus from The Mound every 45 mins.

5 stars. Do not miss this.