The iconic photograph of the Falling Militiaman, taken by legendary photojournalist Robert Capa in the town of Espejo, Córdoba, in September 1936, celebrates its 90th anniversary. The image shows a militiaman falling, apparently dead, and became a world symbol, not only of the Spanish Civil War, but of war in general.
Despite the multiple controversies and near-certainty that it is a staged setup, the photograph continues to be celebrated by history as one of the most influential images in photojournalism. The image has been attributed to both Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, his companion.
The setting of the photograph was the Cordoba town of Espejo, in the context of the first months of the Spanish Civil War, a period of intense conflict between the Republican forces and Franco's troops.
Even with doubts about its authenticity, the image maintains its status as an icon in the history of war photography, continuing to be studied and debated nearly a century after it was taken.
