Magnum Editions: Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1972

Photographed by Abbas in the early 1970s, this scene from Belfast captures the intensity of the Troubles as violence spilled into daily life. A wall collapses in midair, bricks and windows strewn, while a firefighter directs a stream of water toward the blaze. Arson and bombings throughout the decades of conflict left cities scarred and civilians caught in the crossfire. Here, the collapsing structure becomes both a literal and symbolic reminder of the fragility of civic order, while the firefighter’s solitary struggle underscores the resilience of those working to contain the chaos.