Alberto Korda (1928–2001) - * "Hoja de contacto de Fidel Castro cazando y pescando en la Unión Soviética", Viaje de 1963 + COA.

Extraordinary auction: "Alberto Korda, personal archive".

Original photographs from Alberto Korda's personal archive, certified by his sole universal heir, Diana Díaz López.

Note about this photograph in particular:

* "Contact sheet of Fidel Castro hunting and fishing in the Soviet Union", 1963 trip + COA.

This photograph testifies to Fidel Castro's trip to the Soviet Union in April 1963. The trip lasted 38 days and was a blend of official visit and goodwill tour through the country.
The objective was to force an alliance with Moscow after the 1962 Missile Crisis and to secure economic and military support for Cuba, a goal that was achieved.

These images had never been put up for sale until now.

* This photograph bears the photographer's dry stamp + COA.

It is important to note that copies produced after this period lost much of their quality because the negatives deteriorated over the years and left marks that made it impossible to reproduce the same quality and intensity of tones as in the images we offer.
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An unprecedented historical, artistic, and documentary value proposal

In the world of art and documentary photography, there are moments that mark a before and after. This auction represents one of them. For the first time, an exclusive collection of original photographs from Alberto Korda's personal archive is made available to the public, the renowned Cuban photographer whose work not only defined the visual landscape of the Cuban Revolution but also became an icon of 20th-century history.

Beyond his celebrated authorship of the mythical portrait of Ernesto “Che” Guevara —an image that has transcended cultures as a symbol of rebellion, dignity, and idealism— becoming the most reproduced image in human history, Korda was an artist deeply committed to his time, a perceptive observer of his surroundings and a visual chronicler of an unprecedented political, social, and human process.

The works presented in this auction are not mere reproductions or copies with an undefined origin: they come directly from the artist's personal archive and represent a unique, unrepeatable opportunity to acquire pieces with a degree of authenticity and traceability nearly impossible to find today on the international market.
The extreme image quality in the blacks of the photographs reveals the image's direct origin from the negative, a level of quality rarely achievable in later prints.
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Authenticity guaranteed: The invaluable value of the certificate signed by Diana Díaz.

The element that definitively distinguishes this collection is that each photograph is delivered with an authenticity certificate issued and personally signed by Diana Díaz, the sole legally recognized universal heir of Alberto Korda's legacy by his father and the only person authorized to certify the works.

This detail, far from being a mere documentary formality, constitutes an absolute guarantee of origin, legitimacy, and authenticity of the work. In the world of collecting, provenance is a determining factor, and having the direct endorsement of the person legally and by inheritance authorized to validate Korda's work adds tangible and intangible value that is incalculable.

Diana Díaz has been, for decades, the custodian of her father's personal archive, and her role as guardian of that legacy has been recognized both in Cuba and internationally. No other person in the world has the legal authority to issue authenticity certificates for Alberto Korda's works. Therefore, acquiring a photograph with her certification seal is to secure a direct and legitimate link to the author, his original archive, and his family history.

In the art market, this legitimacy is more than a guarantee: it is a secure investment, a mark of exclusivity, and protection against the proliferation of apocryphal copies or unverified prints circulating without support.
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A living legacy: Art, revolution, and humanity

The photographs available in this auction reflect different facets of Korda's gaze: from intimate portraits of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, to spontaneous scenes of the Cuban people, revolutionary women, children in schools, workers, parades, and moments of deep social symbolism. Each image captures the energy of a moment and the sensitivity of an artist who knew how to portray not only the leaders but also the soul of the people.

The beauty of his work lies in the ability to capture emotion, the minimal gesture, and human dignity, even in complex contexts. His deeply humanist style continues to be studied in art and photography academies for its aesthetic precision and narrative charge.

Korda was not a mere witness to history. He was its visual interpreter, the poet in black and white. And his personal archive — guarded jealously to this day — represents a vast artistic and documentary reserve of enormous historical value.
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An exclusive opportunity for collectors and institutions

This event is not only relevant for private collectors but also for cultural institutions, museums, archives, foundations, and universities that wish to add a piece of contemporary history, signed by one of its visual protagonists, to their collections.

The combination of:
• Direct provenance from the author's archive.
• The personal and legal certification of Diana Díaz.
• The image quality, aesthetics, and historical significance of each photograph.

Turns these pieces into collection elements of the highest cultural and economic value, whose prestige and appraisal will only increase over time.
In the art world, few opportunities combine history, exclusivity, provenance, and authentication with such force as this.
This is not just about art. It is about living history.
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Biography of ALBERTO KORDA (1928-2001).
Alberto Korda: The eye of the Cuban Revolution.
The beginnings: From fashion to revolution

Born as Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez in Havana, Cuba, on September 14, 1928, Korda began his career in commercial and fashion photography. During the 1950s, he founded a studio with a partner, specializing in portraits of celebrities, models, and advertising. His talent for framing, light, and composition already stood out at this early stage, and his images revealed a refined aesthetic sensibility that he would later apply to a very different context.

However, his destiny radically changed from 1959, with the triumph of the Revolution led by Fidel Castro. Fascinated by the energy and idealism of the new political process, Korda dedicated himself to documenting social change from within, becoming the official photographer of the newspaper Revolución. His closeness to the revolutionary leaders gave him privileged access to intimate scenes, historic speeches, diplomatic trips, and everyday moments of revolutionary life.
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A visual testimony of the Revolution

Korda was an exceptional witness to some of the most emblematic moments in Cuba's contemporary history. Over more than a decade, he captured in black and white Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos, Raúl Castro, and a diversity of actors in the revolutionary process, as well as the Cuban people in their daily life: peasants, workers, children, and women who embodied the ideals of social justice, literacy, and sovereignty.

His work is characterized by an intense emotional charge and an ability to find beauty and humanity in any scene. Korda stated that his photography was “of the soul, not of technique,” and that authenticity is felt in every one of his compositions. His style is marked by natural light use, close framing, and a deeply humanistic gaze.
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The immortal image: Guerrillero Heroico

On March 5, 1960, during a funeral for victims of the La Coubre ship explosion in Havana, Korda took what would become the most iconic photograph of the 20th century: the portrait of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, later titled Guerrillero Heroico. With a grave expression, a determined gaze, and wind-swept hair, the Che appears as a symbol of rebellion and determination.

Curiously, the image was not published by the Revolución newspaper the next day, and Korda kept it as part of his personal archive. Years later, the photograph was reproduced and widely disseminated, becoming a global symbol of resistance, idealism, and the fight against oppression. It was adopted by social movements around the world, from May ’68 to civil rights campaigns.

Despite the image's popularity, Korda never charged royalties for its use — except when it was used for commercial purposes, such as in a vodka advertising campaign, which led Korda to sue and win the case, donating the proceeds to Cuban public health.
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Beyond the Che: An invaluable archive

Although Guerrillero Heroico grabbed the headlines, Korda's work is vast and goes far beyond that image. His archive includes:
• Close portraits of Fidel Castro, in moments of concentration, relaxation, or leadership.
• Scenes of the Cuban people, particularly women and children, highlighting dignity, hope, and everyday beauty.
• Documentation of international missions, such as trips to the USSR and Africa, which showed the Revolution's diplomatic projection.
• Symbolic images, such as the miliciana, the girl with the stick doll, David and Goliath, where the contrast between violence and poetry creates a deeply moving effect.

Korda believed one of his most important series was dedicated to Cuban women, whom he portrayed as active protagonists of the revolutionary process. With these images, he helped challenge traditional gender roles and celebrate female strength.
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Legacy and international recognition

Alberto Korda passed away in Paris in 2001 while attending an exhibition of his work. His legacy, however, has continued to grow, with exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world.

His archive has been the subject of numerous publications and catalogs, and his works are part of private and public collections of the highest prestige worldwide. Korda is considered one of the most influential documentary photographers of the 20th century, and his work has artistic, historical, political, and cultural value.
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Each image offered in this auction is a window into the heart of a revolution, seen through the lens of an artist committed to his people and history. Owning a work by Alberto Korda is much more than acquiring a photograph: it is safeguarding a memory, engaging in dialogue with history, and paying tribute to an art that transformed politics into visual poetry.

Note: Some descriptions are accompanied by illustrations from books about this image; the books shown are not included with the photograph for sale. The illustrative portraits of photographer Alberto Korda are also not included in the sale, nor other illustrative photographs.

Important: The photographs will be shipped well protected to arrive to their recipient in perfect condition.