David Seymour (1911-1956) was one of the most influential photojournalists of the 20th century. He took the name “CHIM” based on his family’s original Polish name (Szymin). CHIM was known for his early work in Paris and the Spanish Civil War, After World War II his photographs of orphan children for UNESCO established his reputation. He was a co-founder of the photo cooperative Magnum in 1947 and was President at the time of his death by Egyptian fire while photographing for
Newsweek after the cease fire in the 1956 Suez Crisis. His biography
www.icp.org/chim tells the story of how he won the trust of Hollywood personalities, political luminaries, and ordinary people in order to make compelling portraits and tell revealing stories.
For more information on the CHIM portfolio of photos, recent exhibits or books, historical reports on his life, and personal recollections visit the
David Seymour Web Site.
This CHIM Archive includes 680 documents, spanning the period from 1931 to 1961. Most are in English, but some are also in French, Polish and Spanish. The originals remain with CHIM’s nephew, Ben Shneiderman, and niece, Helen Sarid.