The woman is smiling at the camera with a rifle slung over her shoulder and the world is at her feet. But there is so much trouble yet to come. In Placa de Catalunya, a broad square in central Barcelona, this photo held by tour guide Nick Lloyd is a portal to a different time.
It shows the same square back in 1936, and at its centre is Marina Ginesta, a young socialist reporter. A military uprising has just been quashed, but the Spanish Civil War is about to begin. And that’s the topic of Lloyd’s tour: how the civil war unfolded in Barcelona.
Though today this beautiful Spanish city is renowned for its good food and impressive architecture, in the late 1930s it was the focus of political upheaval. Our guide is a Brit who has lived in the city for many years, becoming interested in the conflict when he encountered a photo of a young man who went off to fight. As his fascination grew he amassed a collection of artefacts which he carries on his tours – referring to them as his “walking museum”.
As we stand in the square, hearing Nick explain the origins of the conflict and the different groups involved, we pass around badges from overseas campaigns to aid Spanish democracy, photos of the aftermath of urban battles, and reproductions of magazine covers and illustrations. One item that’s particularly striking is a poster produced by the Barcelona barbers’ collective, with a white-coated barber standing next to his chair while breaking apart a chain. Nick points out t.