20 Black and White Photographs of Gypsies From Between the 1960s and 1970s Show Nomadic Life at Its Most Romantic

Between 1962 and 1971, Josef Koudelka travelled throughout his native Czechoslovakia and beyond to rural Romania, Hungary, France and Spain. His main subject was the Romany Gypsies (“Cikáni” in Koudelka’s native tongue).

Drawn to their nomadic lifestyle and dramatic faces, as well as their rituals and customs, Koudelka set off every summer, carrying a rucksack and a sleeping bag, sleeping in the open air, and living frugally as he journeyed deeper into his subject matter. The Gypsies called him the “romantico clandestino”.

(Photos via Josef Koudelka / Magnum Photos)