Capturing Madrid's history – in photographs
A new book, Madrid, celebrates the daily life, urban landscape and the unique character of the Spanish capital. The city’s history and its protagonists are represented in work by Alfonso, Ramón Masats, Joana Biarnés and Alberto García-Alix, among others
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Turkey vendor in the Plaza de Santa Cruz, 1925
As the state of photographic technology advanced, Madrid’s first photojournalists, including Alfonso, were able to capture the life and atmosphere of the city streetsPhotograph: Alfonso
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Zeppelin flying over Gran Vía, 1930
The Gran Vía was regarded as the crown jewel of modern Madrid and a symbol of the triumph of progressPhotograph: Alfonso
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Dressmakers celebrating St Anthony’s feast day in Gran Vía, 1933
Photograph: Alfonso
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Refugees in a metro station, 1939
Photograph: Alfonso
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Ché Guevara in the Ciudad Universitaria district, 1959
Although César Lucas has photographed everyone from Buster Keaton to Sean Connery, Brigitte Bardot and John Lennon, his shot of Che Guevara – which only found a wider audience following an exhibition in the 1980s – remains among his best known worksPhotograph: César Lucas
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Casa de Campo, 1961
Photograph: Ramón Masats
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El Rastro flea market, 1961
Photograph: Carlos Saura/Vegap
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Suburbs, 1964
In the 1960s subsidised housing developments sprang up on the outskirts of the city, and photographers such as Francisco Ontañón and Joana Biarnés portrayed the lives of their residentsPhotograph: Francisco Ontañón
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The Beatles before their concert at Las Ventas, 1965
The Beatles landed in Madrid in 1965 and became a symbol of the growing desire for freedom among Spanish youthPhotograph: Joana Biarnés/Photographic Social Vision
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Two bullfighters at Las Ventas, 1967
Photograph: Joana Biarnés/Photographic Social Vision
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Models in the suburbs, 1970
Photograph: Joana Biarnés/Photographic Social Vision
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A drink with the Madrid Movida, 1977
With the end of Franco’s dictatorship, a new cultural movement flourished in Madrid, led by young people who cherished the ideas of freedom and modernity. The open-minded, fun, spontaneous spirit of ‘La Movida Madrileña’ ushered in one of the richest artistic and intellectual periods in recent Spanish culturePhotograph: Enrique Cano
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Willy and Carlos at the entrance of La Bobia, 1980
Photograph: Alberto García-Alix
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Slum Princess, 1986
Photograph: Alberto García-Alix
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Depósito Dental concert at Café Maravillas, 1986
Photograph: Miguel Trillo
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Sala Marquee, 1981
Photographers such as Pablo Pérez-Mínguez documented social and urban changes while portraying the city’s residentsPhotograph: Pablo Pérez-Mínguez
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The empty Paseo de la Castellana during the Covid lockdown, 2020
Photograph: Yago Castromil
