Spanish Civil War

In 1936, Gerda Taro, Robert Capa, and David “Chim” Seymour followed the call to the front lines in Spain at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, supporting the antifascist cause. After meeting in Paris, Taro and Capa, both Jewish refugees, became professional and romantic partners. Together, along with Chim, they photographed both the causualties of war and life on the streets, bringing a human face to the scale of the war.

Taro would die at the Battle of Brunete the following year, becoming the first woman photographer to die in action. Although historically overlooked, Taro’s work helped define modern photojournalism and documentary war photography as we know it today. Capa wrote about his experiences in Spain in his book Death in the Making, dedicated to Taro. In 2007, three boxes filled with rolls of film, containing 4,500 35mm negatives of the Spanish Civil War by Taro, Capa, and Seymour were rediscovered in a suitcase in Mexico, after being lost since 1939. They are now held at the International Center of Photography.