Time Magazine from 1937
In Barcelona last week opened a political trial so engrossing that even a major air raid, even, the shattering concussion of bombs which exploded a few hundred yards from the courtroom did not distract the judges, prisoners or spectators. In an atmosphere electric with hate and Spanish passion, Andrés Nin was at last put on trial in absentia. Andrés Nin’s small, blonde Russian wife or widow had a ringside spectator’s seat. Read more:
An interesting talk here about the life of Gerda Taro, the pioneering and largely unknown female photojournalist whose work consisted almost exclusively of dramatic photographs from the Spanish Civil War.The talk is given by Irme Schaber, Taro’s biographer.
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Taro was companion and professional partner of photographer Robert Capa.
When the Spanish Civil War broke out (1936), Gerda Taro travelled to Barcelona, Spain, to cover the events with Capa. Taro acquired the nickname of la pequeña rubia (“the little blonde”). They covered the war together at northeastern Aragon and at the southern Cordoba. Always together under the common, bogus signature of Robert Capa, they were successful through many important publications (the Swiss Züricher Illustrierte, the French Vu). Their early war photos are distinguishable since Taro used a Rollei camera which rendered squared photographs while Capa produced rectangular Leica pictures. However, for some time in 1937 they produced similar 135 film pictures together under the label of Capa&Taro.
Subsequently, Taro attained some independence. She refused Capa’s marriage proposal. Also, she became publicly related to the circle of anti fascist European intellectuals (Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell) who crusaded particularly for the Spanish Republic. The Ce Soir, a leftist newspaper of France, signed her for publishing Taro’s works only. Then, she began to commercialize her production under the Photo Taro label. Regards, Life, Illustrated London News and Volks-Illustrierte were amongst those publications.[1][2]
Reporting the Valencia bombing alone, Gerda Taro attained the photographs which are her most celebrated. Also, in July 1937, Taro’s photographs were in demand by the international press when, alone, she was covering the Brunete region near Madrid for Ce Soir. Although the Nationalist propaganda claimed that the region was under its control, the Republican forces had in fact forced that faction out. Taro’s camera was the only testimony of the actual situation
Cinergia has this excellent selection of information on films about the Spanish Civil War for teachers, scholars and cinephiles. Most of the films listed are feature films, but some documentaries are included. More here
In the image Andrés Pájares salutes out of fear in Ay Carmela by Carlos Saura
The site also has comprehensive notes in English and Spanish on using some of these films for teaching. Here
I’ve added a short biography of Helios Gómez, perhaps the best known gypsy artivist in the Spanish Civil War, and author of many Republican propaganda posters.
Audio interview with Paul Preston here on Canal Ser in Spanish about his book We Saw Spain Die about foreign journalists in the Spanish Civil War.
From review of We Saw Spain Die
In the minds of these correspondents, the quest for truth was not compromised but enhanced by commitment. This testament to their testimony could not have been supplied by a more erudite expert. Preston is a peerless historian of Spain, and the only one who writes as readably as a professional journalist.
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First part of award-winning 6-part Granada TV series on the Spanish Civil War. Here for rest of the videos of the series.
The UGT have put together this great collection of posters from the Spanish Civil War. Well worth a browse. It’s probably easier to do so through their fast-loading flash page here.
Of those British volunteers who fought for the Republic in the Spanish Civil War , only seven are still alive today, all of them over 90. And all of them are as idealistic – and as angry – as they were 70 years ago.
…Jack Jones was born in Liverpool in a house without gas or electricity and joined the TA before going to Spain. It was this training which helped him survive the last battle of the war at the River Ebro…
Read in The Daily Express
One of the last acts of the Spanish Civil War was the evacuation from the port of Alicante of 2,683 republicans on board the British coal-ship, the Stanbrook. This was the last ship to leave Spain before the end of the Spanish Civil War, and was captained by a Welshman Archibald Dickson. Dickson was the only captain of the numerous ships in the harbour to brave the Nazi blockade. Thousands more people trying desperately to escape were left stranded. awaiting their fate at the hands of Franco’s army. The ship was dreadfully overcrowded and survivors remember the fear of the u-boats during the crossing to Oran, Algeria. When they arrived, the French authorities refused Dickson permission to moor, but had to relent when he threatened to crash into the harborside. The refugees had to wait three months before they were allowed to disembark, from where they were taken to a concentration camp (in the pre-Nazi sense of the word) where many would die. Dickson died several months after the evacuation when the Stanbrook was hit by a torpedo from a u-boat.
La Cucaracha has this graphic contemporary account of the situation in Alicante, though there is no mention of the Stanbrook.
Around 50.000 refugees, Republican soldiers and officials, leftist intellectuals, writers, artists, often with their families, are arriving in Valencia and Alicante. Rumors are that French ships, or even the Republican fleet, will take the refugees to safety.
Casado and his family are taken aboard the British battle cruiser Galeata, but most refugees are stuck in the ports.
15.000 refugees are on the pier of the port in Alicante. The pier is so crowded, that in some parts there is no place to sit down, the people standing for hours, not able to move back or forth. Italian troops occupy the city, except the port . Many refugees have lost all hope and commit suicide, some army officers point their guns to themselves and shoot, other using knifes or razor blades to open their pulse veins. One soldier cuts his own throat in the midst of the crowd.
Then a battle ship is entering the port, bringing movement into the masses on the port. The promised ships? But it is a Fascist battle ship, ordering over loudspeakers to clear the port in 30 Minutes and surrender to the waiting troops at the port entrance. Everybody still carrying weapons will be shot dead on the spot. Nobody moves. After 30 minutes the machine guns of the ship fire warning shots over the heads of the refugees. Now they move, dropping their weapons and often also their belongings into the sea. These people know they are standing on the black lists of the Fascists, that they will be most certainly killed. A second wave of suicides take place, some people jump into the water and drown. Leftist journalist Eduardo de Guzman describes later a scene he witnessed: Mariano Vinuales, commissar of the 28th Division, and Maximo Franco, commander of the 12th brigade, each others left hand in a firm grip, shoot themselves in the head. They fall slowly to the ground, still holding their hands. Somebody next to Guzman says: “Soon we will envy the dead!”.
The Fascists at the port entrance divide the refugees into three groups: men, women and children. Around 200 men are killed, the other men are brought to the concentration camp at Albatera, where torturing and more killing takes place.