It was the Cuban photographer, Alberto Korda, who took the iconographic photo of Ernesto “Che” Guevara in 1960. That celebrated image has been reproduced literally billions of times, making it “The most famous photograph in the world and a symbol of the 20th century”, according to the Maryland Institute of Art.

In 2001, the Couturier Gallery in West Hollywood held an exhibition of Korda’s splendid photos. I attended the exhibit and was amazed to see one of the photographer’s beautiful hand-signed prints of Che available for purchase - and I kick myself every time I think about not having acquired it. Korda died just a few months after that show. Now, the University of California, Riverside -Museum of Photography is presenting an exhibition of posters, photographs, video, film, banners, art, websites and artifacts from around the world that examine Alberto Korda’s iconic photograph of Che.

Titled, The Legacy of Korda’s Portrait of Che Guevara, the exhibit begins January 29th, and runs until May 29th, 2005. The Opening Reception will be held on January 29th from 7 to 9 pm. For more info, visit the UCR Museum of Photography website.

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