Krijn Taconis (Rotterdam, 1918 – Canada, 1979) was a Dutch photographer. He was the first Dutchman who became member of the Magnum-photo agency.
Taconis made his first pictures during World War II, he made false documents for the resistance. He also worked for the Ondergedoken Camera, a group of Dutch photographers who captured the German occupation in secret.
With two friends, Ad Windig and Carel Blazer, he escaped after their arrest in 1943 in the nick of time to death. Taconis was released, by lack of evidence. Also the two others were found innocent.
Taconis got a false identity card, so that he could become the guide for stranded allied pilots. He guided them through France to England. He stopped with this dangerous work because several other fellow workers were caught by the Germans and the work became to risky.
In 1950 Taconis became member of Magnum, the three year old photo-agency from war photographers like Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Late fifties he and Magnum were no longer on speaking terms, they would have refused a publication of his war reports from Algeria in France. In 1959 he emigrated to Canada and changed his name in Kryn Taconis.
He was present at the Dam, on the day of the shooting and has taken pictures there.
The following pictures are bought by us via the Archive and Library of Canada:
German troops at corner Palace / Dam / Kalverstraat
