David Seymour

Chim (pronounced shim, an abbreviation of the surname "Szymin") was the pseudonym of David Seymour (November 20, 1911 – November 10, 1956), a Polish photographer and photojournalist. Born Dawid Szymin in Warsaw to Polish parents, he became interested in photography while studying in Paris. He began working as a freelance journalist in 1933.

Chim's coverage of the Spanish Civil War (along with his fellow colleagues Gerda Taro and Robert Capa), Czechoslovakia and other European events established his reputation. He was particularly known for his poignant treatment of people, especially children. In 1939 he documented the journey of Loyalist Spanish refugees to Mexico and was in New York when World War II broke out. In 1940 he enlisted in the United States Army, serving in Europe as a photo interpreter during the war. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1942, the same year that his parents were killed by the Nazis. After the war, he returned to Europe to document the plight of refugee children for the recently formed UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund).

Sometime after D-Day, Chim met Life (magazine)'s Paris Bureau Head Will Lang Jr. and had lunch with him at a cafe' in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France, along with reporter Dida Comacho and photographer Yale Joel.

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Read more about David Seymour:  Magnum Photos

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