Modern photojournalism masters Bruno Barbey and Ian Berry have joined forces for a powerful new exhibition titled Spring Revolutions, 1968 — A Tale of Two Cities. Now open at Atlas Gallery in London, the show presents a compelling visual account of the political unrest and uprisings of May and August 1968 that reshaped the histories of Paris and Prague.
In the spring of 1968, as unrest swept through Paris, French photographer Bruno Barbey captured intimate and dramatic scenes from the front lines of protest. His images chronicle the occupation of the Sorbonne, large-scale demonstrations and the massive strikes that eventually involved some 11 million workers. Among his enduring photographs is the striking image of a student throwing a stone at police, a frame that has come to symbolize the fierce intensity of that moment.
Later the same year, British photographer Ian Berry traveled to Prague under the pretext of attending an architecture conference, arriving as Warsaw Pact tanks entered the city. Berry became the only foreign photographer to document the Prague Spring’s final days, recording the tense confrontations between Czech citizens and occupying soldiers. His photographs provide an essential eyewitness record of resistance and suppression during that crucial period.
Spring Revolutions, 1968 — A Tale of Two Cities brings together these two bodies of work to highlight both the parallels and contrasts between the uprisings in Paris and Prague. Through Barbey’s and Berry’s lenses, visitors can trace the human stories behind historic headlines—students, workers, families and soldiers—captured in raw, revealing frames that convey urgency, courage and consequence.
The exhibition is on view through June 14. Atlas Gallery is located at 49 Dorset Street, a short walk from Baker Street tube station, and offers an intimate setting to experience these landmark images up close.
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