Alberto Korda

Alberto Korda (Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez, 1928–2001) was a Cuban photographer best known for the 1960 portrait of Che Guevara titled 'Guerrillero Heroico'.

The celebrated image was taken by Korda during the mourning for victims of the La Coubre explosion in March 1960. The photograph gained wide circulation after Giangiacomo Feltrinelli used it for the cover of Che Guevara's Diario in Bolivia; Korda did not receive payment for the image except for 50,000 dollars from a lawsuit against Smirnoff, which he donated to purchase medicines for Cuban children (as recounted in the available review).

The reviews focus on Korda's 1960 photograph 'Guerrillero Heroico' of Che Guevara and its rise to iconic status. The image was taken during the mourning for the victims of the La Coubre explosion and later widely reproduced. The review also recounts the photo's dissemination via Giangiacomo Feltrinelli and a legal case related to commercial use.

For:Readers interested in documentary photography, Cuban history, visual culture and iconic political images.