Photographing the protests and passion of 1980s Britain

Date
9 March 2016

Documenting the creativity and relentless passion of the anti-nuclear protest movement in early 1980s Britain, Edward Barber’s Peace Signs photography first attracted the attention of media outlets such as The Guardian, The Observer Magazine and NME. More than 30 years later the British photographer has collaborated with Imperial War Museums to reimagine his politically charged collection as an exhibition featuring fresh contextualisation in the form of a new graphic installation entitled Mind Map of Anti-Nuclear Protest.

Predominantly focusing on the faces of the powerful anti-nuclear protests held across London and the UK, Edward’s portraiture demonstrates his consistent desire to humanise the activists often represented only as masses of bodies and slogans on hand-crafted signs. Having captured the significance of fashion and art in communicating pro-peace arguments, Edward’s fresh display of existing work offers a new generation the chance to interpret his photographs with re-evaluated context provided by him.

“I see this as preventative photography. The photographs here are both a celebration and a warning,” says Edward.

Peace Signs opens at IWM London on 26 May and will run until 4 September as part of IWM Contemporary, a programme of exhibitions featuring work created as a response to war and conflict.

Above
Left

Edward Barber: ‘Stop the City’ protester at the Bank of England, City of London, 1983

Right

Edward Barber: Labour Party “Nuclear Arms No – Peace Yes’ rally in Hyde Park, London, 1980

Above

Edward Barber: Labour Party “Nuclear Arms No – Peace Yes’ rally in Hyde Park, London, 1980

Above
Left

Edward Barber: CND march and rally, Hyde Park, London, 1982

Right

Edward Barber: A young protester at the ‘Peace Chain’ event staged outside the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston, Berkshire, 1983

Above

Edward Barber: A young protester at the ‘Peace Chain’ event staged outside the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston, Berkshire, 1983

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About the Author

Milly Burroughs

Milly Burroughs (@millyburroughs2.0) is a Berlin-based writer and editor specialising in art, design and architecture. Her work can be read in magazines such as AnOther, Dazed, TON, Lux, Elephant, Hypebeast and many more, as well as contributing to books on architecture and design from publishers Gestalten and DK. She is It’s Nice That’s Berlin correspondent.

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