Witness: Gerda Taro's Spanish Civil War

This exhibition presents the Spanish war from the front lines, capturing civilian life and the human cost of the conflict.

Curated by Marie Keller, Witness: Gerda Taro’s Spanish Civil War features more than 30 photographs captured by Gerda Taro during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. On view at The Capa Space, the collection provides a visual record of the battlefield, civilian life, and the human toll of the conflict.

Gerda Taro, who worked alongside fellow photojournalist Robert Capa, was a pioneer in using the photo essay to report global events. Her work documents the harsh realities of war while revealing moments of enduring humanity amid the chaos.

Gerda Taro’s unflinching documentation of the Spanish Civil War established her as one of the first female war photographers and a passionate visual advocate for anti-fascist resistance. Despite her tragically short career —she was killed on the frontlines in Spain in 1937 at just 26 years old— Taro’s impact was profound. Her funeral in Paris drew thousands, a testament to the role she played in the Spanish Civil War.

The Capa Space

The Capa Space is an education and exhibition center dedicated to promoting the idea that communities can use photography to advance peace, equality, and justice. It continues the legacy of Robert and Cornell Capa’s work as “concerned” photographers. This is a place where people gather to create, view, and learn about photography. The Capa Space aims to inspire visitors to engage in the creative process by demonstrating photography’s power as a catalyst for social action.

Gerda Taro

Gerda Taro was born in Stuttgart and moved to Paris in 1933 after fleeing Nazi Germany. There, she met Robert Capa and began her career in photography. The two covered the Spanish Civil War together, aligned with the Republican cause. By 1937, Taro had emerged as an independent photojournalist, documenting the war and its civilian impact. She died at age 26 while covering the Battle of Brunete. Though often overshadowed by Capa, her powerful and emotionally charged images remain a lasting record of the conflict.

Robert Capa

Born in Budapest in 1913, Robert Capa is considered the world’s greatest war photographer. He documented the Spanish Civil War, the Japanese invasion of China, WWII including the landing at Normandy, as well as other conflicts. Capa was a groundbreaking photojournalist who placed himself in the middle of military conflicts to document the destruction of lives and property while also capturing the survivors who marched on through life, their human spirit in triumph over unspeakable adversity.