Robert Capa's work remains a cornerstone of wartime photojournalism. After gaining acclaim for his coverage of the Spanish Civil War, Capa worked as a freelance war correspondent for LIFE magazine from 1941 to 1946. Throughout World War II, he traveled with the United States Army, capturing pivotal moments of Allied victories across the European Theatre.
Victorious Yank, offered here, was featured on the cover of LIFE on 14 May 1945. Photographed by Capa in a stadium in Nuremberg, a city that had been recently liberated by the Allies, this iconic image depicts Hubert Strickland, a driver Capa had worked with previously, striking a joyfully mock salute against the symbols of the Nazi regime. Another powerful photograph in this group portrays the aftermath of the épuration sauvage in Chartres, published by LIFE on 16 August 1944. This harsh retribution, carried out following the liberation of France, involved the public shaming and punishment of over 20,000 French women accused of collaborating with German occupiers.
Taken as a whole, this group illustrates the vast range of Capa’s coverage of World War II, focusing on the human impact and placing it within historical context.
