Ian Berry, the acclaimed photojournalist whose images captured the brutal realities of apartheid in South Africa, died on September 13 at the age of 92. Born on April 4, 1934, Berry’s early work included documenting pivotal moments during the apartheid era, most notably the Sharpeville massacre in 1960.
At 25, Berry was on assignment in the township of Sharpeville on March 21, 1960, where thousands of black South Africans protested against oppressive apartheid laws. Despite police orders for journalists to disperse, Berry discreetly moved into the crowd and began taking photographs. He was among the few white eyewitnesses during the police shooting that followed, which left scores of protesters dead or injured, many of whom were children struck while fleeing. While the official death toll was initially reported as 69, later research suggested significantly higher numbers.
Berry’s photographs were the only visual record of the incident, yet his employer at the time, Drum magazine, hesitated to publish the images out of fear the publication would be shut down. Instead, Berry sent the photographs to a London agency, leading to their distribution in Life and Paris Match. The resulting international outrage contributed to global condemnation of South Africa’s apartheid regime.
Berry later testified in court in defense of surviving protesters charged with affray, with his images providing critical evidence that contradicted the police narrative and showed officers reloading and firing on retreating civilians. Following these events, Berry was banned from South Africa.
The Sharpeville massacre sparked international repercussions, including South Africa’s expulsion from the Commonwealth in 1961, the adoption of UN Resolution 1761 calling for economic sanctions in 1962, and the country’s exclusion from the Olympic Games until 1992. Berry’s work played a role in bringing the world’s attention to the violence perpetrated under apartheid.
After his expulsion, Berry relocated to Paris, where in 1962 he joined the renowned Magnum photo agency at the invitation of Henri Cartier-Bresson. Two years later, he moved to London to become The Observer’s first contract photographer. Over his career, Berry covered conflicts and significant social changes worldwide, including the Middle East, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Czechoslovakia, Northern Ireland, and the former Soviet Union. His portraiture ranged from intellectuals like Bertrand Russell to political figures such as Margaret Thatcher.
In addition to his conflict reporting, Berry produced notable photographic books, including the 1978 volume The English, which offered an intimate and varied look at British life. The work was recognized for its social insight and was supported by the first Arts Council bursary awarded to a photographer.
Berry’s photographs often carried a lasting cultural impact. A 1964 image of a couple dancing in a Whitechapel basement nightclub was used decades later as the cover for Bob Dylan’s 2020 album, Rough and Rowdy Ways.
Beginning his career as a cadet reporter in the United Kingdom before moving to South Africa at 18, Berry’s lifelong fascination with photography was supported by his mastery of the Leica camera.
Despite continuing to work into his later years, his wife persuaded him to forgo assignment trips to conflict zones such as Ukraine due to safety concerns. Berry’s legacy endures through the powerful visual record he left of some of the 20th century’s most significant social and political upheavals.