A photographer’s contact sheet gives context to a single picture — it fills in its scene and characters, and provides the viewer with a better idea of what really happened. But it also highlights the seemingly infinite ways photos can be edited — tweaked slightly to convey different emotions. A new Magnum Photos Contact Sheet Exhibition, ondisplay at Milk Gallery through July 13, explores the process behind the making and editing of many iconic images. There’s Elizabeth Taylor’s famous beach scene in 1959, Jackie at JFK’s funeral in 1963, Paul Fusco’s powerful pictures of Americans saluting the RFK Funeral train in 1968. The show, which puts marked-up contact sheets alongside their final selections, is a tribute to both American photography — and photo editing. Click through our slideshow (and click the images to zoom in on contact sheets) for highlights from the show.
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Audrey Hepburn on the set of "Funny Face," Paris, 1956.Photo: David Seymour/Magnum Photos
Audrey Hepburn on the set of "Funny Face," Paris, 1956.Photo: David Seymour/Magnum Photos
The Beatles in the Abbey Road Studios, examining the script of "A Hard Day's Night," London, 1964. Photo: David Hurn/Magnum Phot...The Beatles in the Abbey Road Studios, examining the script of "A Hard Day's Night," London, 1964. Photo: David Hurn/Magnum Photos
The Beatles in the Abbey Road Studios, examining the script of "A Hard Day's Night," London, 1964. Photo: David Hurn/Magnum Phot...The Beatles in the Abbey Road Studios, examining the script of "A Hard Day's Night," London, 1964. Photo: David Hurn/Magnum Photos
Elizabeth Taylor on the set of "Suddenly Last Summer," London, 1959.Photo: Burt Glinn/Magnum Photos
Elizabeth Taylor on the set of "Suddenly Last Summer," London, 1959.Photo: Burt Glinn/Magnum Photos
James Dean, New York City, 1955.Photo: Dennis Stock/Magnum Photos
James Dean, New York City, 1955.Photo: Dennis Stock/Magnum Photos
John F. Kenney's Funeral, Arlington, Virginia, 1963.Photo: Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
John F. Kennedy's Funeral, Arlington, Virginia, 1963.Photo: Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
Marilyn Monroe, Clarke Gable, and Montgomery Clift on the set of "The Misfits," Nevada, 1960.Photo: Eve Arnold/Magnum Photos
Marilyn Monroe, Clarke Gable, and Montgomery Clift on the set of "The Misfits," Nevada, 1960.Photo: Eve Arnold/Magnum Photos
Muhammad Ali, Chicago, 1966. Photo: Thomas Hoepker/Magnum Photos
Muhammad Ali, Chicago, 1966. Photo: Thomas Hoepker/Magnum Photos
Nikita Khrushchev and Richard Nixon, Moscow, 1959.Photo: Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
Nikita Khrushchev and Richard Nixon, Moscow, 1959.Photo: Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
New York City, 1946.Photo: Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
New York City, 1946.Photo: Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
Robert Kennedy funeral train, 1968. Photo: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
Robert Kennedy funeral train, 1968. Photo: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
Tien An Men Square, Beijing, 1989.Photo: Stuart Franklin/Magnum Photos
Tien An Men Square, Beijing, 1989.Photo: Stuart Franklin/Magnum Photos
