Omicidio nella zona di Partinico (Homicide in the area of Partinico / Palermo)

1965. Near fine. Vintage gelatin silver print. Image dimensions 7 3/4 x 9 1/2 in. (197 x 242 mm), printed to edge, bottom left corner stlightly bent Photographer's copyright stamp and credit sticker on verso, with penciled title and date "'60s/'70s" A striking photograph from Scafidi's copious production of images relating to crime news, depicting the traditional funerary carriage in a stark landscape near Palermo.
Nicola Scafidi was born in Palermo in 1925 and began practicing photography very young, having learned the technique from his father. In 1943 he was there to document when the Allies landed in Sicily and he dedicated his life to photojournalism, capturing the contradictions, ugliness and hope of his native Sicily. He portrayed all aspects of life, from the mundane and familiar to the religious, from the destruction of earthquakes to the brutality of the mafia. Celebrated film directors called on him to document the sets of their productions, among them Rossellini, Zeffirelli, DeSica, Fellini, Visconti, and Rosi. His photos appeared in both national and international press, including The New York Times, Life, Time magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Der Spiegel, Paris Match, and they have also been the subject of numerous exhibitions.