25 Facts About Alberto Korda

Alberto Diaz Gutierrez, better known as Alberto Korda or simply Korda, was a Cuban photographer, remembered for his famous image Guerrillero Heroico of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara.

Korda, whose real name was Alberto Diaz Gutierrez, was born on September 14,1928, in Havana, Cuba.

Alberto Korda got his first taste of photography when he took his father's Kodak 35mm and began taking pictures of his girlfriend.

Alberto Korda began his career as a photographer who shot pictures at banquets, baptisms and weddings.

Alberto Korda would run back to his studio to develop the film, then return to the event and sell his photographs as souvenirs.

When he opened his first studio, Alberto Korda had an opportunity to learn from his mistakes and to stop the yellowing process by using the right chemicals for the correct durations of time.

In 1953, Alberto Korda opened his first studio with a photographer named Luis Pierce.

Alberto Korda disliked artificial lighting; he said it was "a travesty of reality" and only used natural light in his studio.

Alberto Korda was master of black-and-white photography who looked for perfect composition and framing.

Alberto Korda had unique creative ambition that he used to rise above in style when compared to the unimaginative cultural perspective of traditional Cuban photography.

Alberto Korda's second wife, Natalia Menendez, was a well known Cuban fashion model.

For Castro, Alberto Korda was more than an official photographer, a friend or personal photographer.

Alberto Korda was very relaxed, and interested in everything and everyone.

In 1959 the newly established newspaper offered the largest space for photographers to display their photographs, and Alberto Korda became part of the revolutionary cause.

In 1963 photos of Fidel and Nikita Khrushchev, taken by Alberto Korda, illustrated the differences in both men that were evident in their respective politics.

Alberto Korda's style was to move to the front of whatever group Fidel was leading to get the shots he wanted.

Alberto Korda worked freely without thinking about political consequences to get what he wanted in his photos.

Alberto Korda was a photographer for the Cuban newspaper Revolucion when he produced on March 5,1960, the iconic image of Che Guevara that became a worldwide symbol of revolution and rebellion.

Alberto Korda never received any royalties for the image, because Castro did not recognize the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

The truth is that Alberto Korda gave the picture for free to Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, an Italian publisher who had published Doctor Zhivago and went on to publish Castro's diaries.

Alberto Korda's work includes pictures of Castro's rebels riding into Havana after their triumph, and one known as The Quixote of the Lamp Post showing a Cuban wearing a straw hat and sitting on a lamp post against a sea of people during a rally.

Alberto Korda appeared briefly in the pre-title sequence of Wim Wenders' film Buena Vista Social Club in 1999, although he was uncredited.

Alberto Korda suffered a fatal heart attack in Paris in 2001 while presenting an exhibition of his work.

Alberto Korda was featured in a full feature documentary titled Kordavision directed by Hector Cruz Sandoval in 2006 which was selected by AMPAS 2007 documentary series.

Alberto Korda's works are in the collections of Casa de las Americas, Havana, Cuba; Center for Cuban Studies, New York, NY; Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione, Parma University, Parma, Italy; Fototeca de Cuba, Havana, Cuba; Galleria IF, Milan, Italy; Galleria Il Diafragma Kodak, Milan, Italy; Maison de la Culture de la Seine Saint-Denis, Paris, France; Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba.