1970年代

Robert James Fischer, New York City, 1971
Photo: David Attie/RockPaperPhoto

Robert James Fischer, New York City, 1971
Photo: David Attie/RockPaperPhoto

Attie photographed the elusive and eccentric Fischer for America Illustrated, a U.S. government-sponsored magazine that was distributed solely in the Soviet Union, less than a year before he beat Boris Spassky to become the only American ever to win the World Chess Championship. Attie’s fellow Alexey Brodovitch protege Richard Avedon was originally supposed to do this shoot. But Fischer saw Avedon as a “fashion photographer” and rejected the choice at the eleventh hour as demeaning to him. After viewing Attie’s work, Fischer approved the substitution. Oddly, he showed up completely unshaven, and Attie ended up shaving him while Attie’s wife filmed the proceedings with an 8mm camera. [Read more].