INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE TO STAGE 1968 PHOTOGRAPHY AND FRONT PAGE RETROSPECTIVE AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE

London :Two great institutions are joining together in honour of an extraordinary year in history: At the National Theatre, the International Herald Tribune (IHT) will mount an exhibition of photography and iconic front pages to illustrate and illuminate the historic events of 1968. The exhibit ’68: The news, the stories, the photographs, will offer a rare glimpse into the Paris-based newspaper’s 120 year old archives.
The free exhibition will be open to the London public from May 2 to June 28 as part of the major cultural season All Power to the Imagination! 1968 and Its Legacies, which the IHT is supporting.
Striking photographs, contextualized by front pages, will explain what made 1968 unique. The IHT’s network of journalists, famed for their integrity and balanced perspective reported from every corner of the globe in 1968 – as they continue to do today – making the newspaper the ideal institution to mount this exhibition. From the student rebellion in the streets of Paris to the first ever photographs of planet Earth, the show will evoke memories but also show a younger generation why this year was special, and what messages it still sends us today.
The exhibition is curated by the IHT’s director of photography, Cecilia Bohan: “1968 helped shape the world we live in today and the global political and cultural events we feature will resonate with all those who see it. We wanted to capture the revolutionary spirit of ’68 using images that immortalize fleeting moments. Many of the photographs are rich in detail – fascinating to study – and the International Herald Tribune front pages we selected anchor everything, explaining why the events really mattered.”
For the IHT the exhibition and sponsorship of the All Power to the Imagination season is an opportunity to raise its profile among politically educated, culturally literate readers in a market where its sales are increasing. Jim Clayton, the IHT’s circulation director for UK and Ireland, said: “Our core audience is predominantly international business leaders and high net worth individuals and going against the current trend, UK sales have grown. Through sponsorship of this season and sampling efforts at an impressive network of cultural partners across the city we will reach a new audience of Londoners who perhaps want a more outward looking and balanced perspective than is available from the nationals.”
To accompany the exhibition the IHT’s executive editor, Michael Oreskes, will lead a panel made up of award-winning photographers Ian Berry and John G Morris and author Geoff Dyer to discuss how 1968 shaped the way we illustrate news today. A limited number of free tickets will be available to IHT readers. The event will take place at the Cottesloe Theatre on May 27 and tickets can be purchased via the box office.