Alain Silverstein

Best known for his frank images of the brutality of the Northern Ireland Conflict — also called “the Troubles” — as well as for capturing the mundanities of daily life around the world, Alain Le Garsmeur is a prolific editorial and documentary photographer. His photography of the 1970s and 1980s garnered him widespread acclaim.

Le Garsmeur attended the Ealing Art College — now part of the University of West London. He began working as an assistant for notable photographers including Helmut Newton, Donald Silverstein and Guy Bourdin after concluding his studies. Le Garsmeur started to secure assignments in 1970 as a freelancer working for the Sunday Times and the Observer. His work later appeared in Figaro, the Independent, Geo magazine, Newsweek and Infinito.

Whether documenting the ubiquitous murals that appeared in Belfast during the Troubles, scenes of the bombings and vivid acts of violence that took place during the war, or the British Army marching through the city’s streets, Le Garsmeur created enduring images of the years-long conflict. He also focused on capturing the life of an average citizen during the war. Le Garsmeur’s color photography of the era provides a unique insight into wartime that is unlike what is typically published in history textbooks.

As a photographer for the Observer magazine, Le Garsmeur won the 1986 World Press Award for his work while on assignment in China, with one photo earning him first prize in the “Daily Life” category. His work featuring landscapes of Ireland and Britain have also been published in numerous books including W.B.Yeats: Images of Ireland, Lough Erne and Stopping Train Britain. 

Find original Alain Le Garsmeur photography on 1stDibs.

Color photography evokes emotion that can bring a viewer into the scene. It can transport one to faraway places or back into the past.

The first color photograph, taken in 1861, was more of an exercise in science than art. Photographer Thomas Sutton and physicist James Clerk Maxwell used three separate exposures of a tartan ribbon — filtered through red, green and blue — and composited them into a single image, resulting in the first multicolor representation of an object.

Before this innovation, photographs were often tinted by hand. By the 1890s, color photography processes were introduced based on that 1860s experiment. In the early 20th century, autochromes brought color photography to a commercial audience.

Now color photography is widely available, with these historic photographs documenting moments and scenes that are still vivid generations later. Photographers in the 20th and 21st centuries have offered new perspectives in the evolving field of modern color photography with gripping portraiture, snow-capped landscapes, stunning architecture and lots more.

In the voluminous collection of photography on 1stDibs, find vibrant full-color images by Slim Aarons, Helen Levitt, Gordon Parks, Stefanie Schneider, Steve McCurry and other artists. Bring visual interest to any corner of your home with color photography — introduce a salon-style gallery hang or another arrangement that best fits your space.