Seventh issue
Grazia Neri Colin Jacobson
Mr. COLIN JACOBSON
A Day With
London
My first encounter with Colin Jacobson takes place in London outside the FishBar, an independent gallery founded by Philipp Ebeling and Olivia Arthur. It’s photographer Mimì Mollica who introduces me to this institution in the world of English photography. Colin has a lanky figure and shows a great kindness through his lively eyes and warm voice. Our conversation starts in relaxation while sipping a pint of beer. I’m immediately aware of Colin’s natural familiarity with photography, a human and professional respect for the photographers he has met during his career as photo editor. After hearing about my Sicilian roots, the first question he asks me – with a smile that usually accompanies positive memories – is “How are Franco Zecchin and Letizia Battaglia?” We talk about ‘70s British photojournalists that I’m not familiar with and come to learn through him. I pinpoint a chapter in Grazia Neri’s book where she describes him: “Colin was the last successful photo editor for The Independent, contributing to make such unique newspaper before the tragic decline of the English press. Each day, during Jacobson’s stay at the newspaper, on the front page of The Independent was published an image created by a photographer who had been given work assigned in total freedom. It was something else to buy the newspaper and see the image and the chosen topic. And it was comforting that a newspaper would give credits quoting the photographer and the agency next to the image.”
Colin Jacobson by Witold Krassowksi
I ask Colin the same type of questions I asked Neri, to draw a parallel between two similar personalities yet so unique. 175