Michael Ward


BELFAST 1977

Two women casually walk past English soldiers in riot gear during protests in Belfast at Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Northern Ireland, August 11, 1977.

Michael Ward was a celebrated photojournalist who enjoyed an award-winning career for the Sunday Times, documenting everything from news to war to celebrities. Some of his most affluent clients included The Beatles, Hugh Grant, Gary Cooper, and Pattie Boyd. His piece BELFAST 1977 speaks to the domineering spirit of defiance in two very contrasting ways: there is the literal concept of defiance depicted in the crouching English soldiers as well as the more figurative connotation reflected in the two women who are refusing to allow the protests to put a stop to their outing. Humanity is alive and well in this photograph, as it represents the dual nature of war and peace that stirs in humankind. Additionally, it is a dialogue that we must have with ourselves now and then–an emphasis that we can and will continue to persevere through moments of unrest.

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    ARTISTS’ BIO

    Michael Ward, British actor-turned-photographer, gained a reputation thanks to his work for The Show Page in the Evening Standard. By the mid-1960’s, Ward took his talents to the Sunday Times, where he worked until the early 1990s. Celebrated for his photojournalism work, Ward documented everything from news to war to celebrities. Some of his most affluent clients included The Beatles, Hugh Grant, Gary Cooper, and Pattie Boyd.