May 2
Breakfast at the hotel and depart by 8 AM for Havana.
Run into a whole bunch of crabs, making their way from the ocean across the road that we are on. We stop to photograph them.
Drive the rest of the way into Havana, arriving around 2 PM. We are dropped at a beautiful old parador, called La Guarida, where we have a terrific lunch.
We also take many photos in the home, in and around a great old staircase and open area where a young boy has on boxing gloves, girls are playing and skipping rope and adults have a game of dominos going.
From here we taxi to the home of the daughter of the famous Cuban photographer, Korda. I admit to being skeptical that this will be worthwhile, but it turns out to be fascinating. Korda is best known for his revolution photos, including the iconic one of Che, but he was also a fashion photographer and was among the early people to photograph while diving. There are wonderful examples of his work around the house, including of Fidel with famous people like Hemingway (below) and his daughter, Diana Diaz, a former ballet dancer and friend of Jorge, is very gracious in showing us around and answering our questions.
The famous photo of Che was taken in 1959, used to advertise some conferences in 1960 and 1961, then forgotten. An Italian journalist who went to Bolivia where Che was fighting in 1967 wanted a good photo of Che. He was directed to Korda, who gave him a copy of the photo as a present. Two months later, Che was killed in Bolivia. The Italian made a million copies of the photo, put his name on it and sold them for $5 each as his photo. Diana says that Korda felt that the recognition he later got was adequate compensation for the photo. In the photo of Diana above, she is holding the original of the contact sheet containing the famous photo of Che.
Around 5:30, we return to check in to the hotel, clean up and prepare for dinner, which we have outside in the Plaza de Catedral at El Patio. Cool breezes and a rather good meal. We meet Dustin’s Cuban girlfriend, Yani, who has just learned that she’s gotten a six-month visa to the US. Jorge brings a portfolio of his photographs. A few group members purchase photos, and Doug and Nevada trade photos with Jorge.
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