'Correspondents in the Spanish Civil War' at Instituto Cervantes

MANILA, Philippines - Instituto Cervantes, in collaboration with the Pablo Iglesias Foundation, presents an exhibition that brings together a collection of wartime newspapers and photographs that document the lives of journalists in Spain during the Civil War (1936-1939).

Titled “Corresponsales en la Guerra de España (Correspondents in the Spanish Civil War),” this exhibition consists of 30 original newspaper articles and facsimiles, along with photographs from numerous sources that were published in the international press during the war. It opens Dec. 2, 7 p.m. at Instituto Cervantes’ exhibit hall. 

The significance of the Spanish Civil War as major event in Spanish and European history is well-known. Beyond the implications of the civil war in terms of Spain’s own history, the war is viewed as the testing ground for the world war and the final confrontation reached by thousands of volunteers around the world to fight for their ideas. This was also the start of the rise of war photography and photojournalism in the 20th century media.

 This exhibition reflects the fresh and direct view of events in Spain offered by the foreign correspondents at that time — names who would later become major writers of the 20th century. Many of these surviving materials are invaluable to the public, serving both as historical references and pieces of art.

Some of the fundamental figures in journalism and literature featured in this exhibit include Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, John Dos Passos, Herbert Matthews, Indro Montanelli, and Mikhail Koltsov, among others.

Structured in 17 subjects, the exhibition explores a more journalistic approach than historical of the correspondents during the Civil War. Some of the events reflected are the massacre of Badajoz, making the Alcazar of Toledo, the bombing of Guernica and the battle of Teruel.

“Corresponsales en la Guerra de España” also features historical interviews, such as that of General Francisco Franco in early August 1936, or of Buenaventura Durruti shortly before his death. But above all, the exhibition is a tribute to the most outstanding representatives of what Hugh Thomas has called “the golden age of foreign correspondents.”

The exhibition opened at the Instituto Cervantes in New York in July 2006 and has since toured 25 cities worldwide. For its stop here in Manila, the work of poet Miguel Hernandez as a war correspondent will also be tackled in commemoration of his birth centenary.

For the exhibit opening on Dec. 2, renowned Spanish novelist Ignacio Martínez de Pisón Cavero will share a brief lecture on the stories of the Spanish Civil War correspondents. At 7:45 p.m., the exhibit’s curator Carlos García Santa Cecilia will provide his expertise in giving background of the collection and interpreting the meaning of each item. 

“Corresponsales en la Guerra de España” is organized by Instituto Cervantes de Manila in collaboration with the Fundación Pablo Iglesias, Spanish Embassy in the Philippines, Spanish Agency International Cooperation for Development (AECID), the Ministry of Culture of Spain, and the New World Hotel.

Entrance to this exhibition is free on a first-come-first-served. For information, call 526-1482 or visit manila.cervantes.es. Instituto Cervantes de Manila is at 855 T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila.