Revolutions: Iran, the Prague Spring, and Ceaușescu’s Fall | History in Photos

March 31, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Dominic Sandbrook introduces a new mini-series for Rest Is History club members, exploring history through photography alongside portrait photographer Chris Floyd. The series covers revolutions, music, fashion, and technology's impact on images and perception. This first episode focuses on revolutionary moments, starting with Abbas's documentation of Iran's 1979 revolution.

Abbas's Coverage of Iran 1979

Abbas (full name Abbas Attar), born in Iran in 1944, grew up in Algeria and lived mostly in Paris. His life's work centered on religion's effects on people, spanning Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and later a seven-year project on jihadism across 16 countries post-9/11. For the Iranian Revolution, Abbas returned as an adult, capturing events comprehensively despite Iran's size. He was ubiquitous in 1979-80, photographing key scenes, then faced exile, not returning until 1997. His Iranian and Muslim background granted access a Western photographer might lack, though it did not shield him from the Khomeini regime's disfavor. Smuggling film out of restricted areas was routine for such work.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:07) **Series Introduction** - Promo for exclusive club mini-series on history through photography, focusing on revolutions, music, fashion, technology
2 (01:15) **Abbas and Iranian Revolution Overview** - Photographer Abbas (Abbas Attar) introduced as key documenter of 1979 Iran Revolution, exiled Iranian Muslim based in Paris
3 (02:35) **Ayatollahs Tension Photo** - Image of Ayatollah calling for peace between rival followers, capturing early revolutionary flux
4 (03:42) **Abbas's Access and Risks** - Discussion of how Abbas gained entry to elite rooms and smuggled film out
5 (04:49) **Operation Eagle Claw Wreckage** - Photo of abandoned US helicopter wreckage in desert, symbolizing American humiliation
6 (06:14) **US Embassy Mob Photo** - Frenzied crowd outside embassy becomes iconic image of revolution for Americans
7 (07:10) **Khomeini's Rise and Shiism** - Analysis of Khomeini's austere charisma channeling Persian Shia nationalism against Shah

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

**Unlock the full episode and the complete History in Photos series by joining The Rest Is History Club at⁠ ⁠⁠therestishistory.com⁠**

In what ways did Abbas’ identity grant him unique access to the Iranian Revolution? How can a single object, like Josef Koudelka’s wristwatch, symbolise an entire geopolitical shift like the Prague Spring? And, how does Moises Saman’s photographic approach to the Arab Spring differ from traditional revolutionary photography?

In today’s episode of our new member’s-only mini-series, Dominic is joined by photographer Chris Floyd to discuss iconic photographs of political revolutions of the 20th and 21st century.

Getty Images has one of the largest and oldest privately held archives globally with access to over 150 million images dating back to the beginning of photography. From historical images created in the early

1800s to more contemporary 1990s imagery, the Getty Images archive houses a wealth of socially significant, historical photos, videos and prints, and includes content from over 40 editorial content

partners including Gamma-Rapho, Paris Match, The Bettmann Archive, Sygma and Motorsport Images. Our archive video collection contains 3.1 million hours of offline video footage and includes partners

such as NBC News Archives, ITN, Sky News and the BBC Motion Gallery.

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Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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