British Soldiers in The Bogside, Londonderry, Arresting a Catholic Youth
- Artist: Sir Don McCullin CBE
- Date: 1971, printed 2013
- Medium: Photograph, gelatin silver print on paper
- Dimensions: image: 510 x 325 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the *“British Soldiers in The Bogside, Londonderry, Arresting a Catholic Youth”* by Sir Don McCullin CBE. It’s a gelatin‑silver print from 1971 that captures a single, tense moment in the heart of the Troubles. The picture shows a group of British soldiers, uniforms crisp and boots muddy, stopping a young Catholic boy as he walks past a bustling pub on Bogside street. The background is a row of old brick houses, the atmosphere charged with a palpable tension that you can almost feel.
McCullin, known for his unflinching war photography, uses stark black‑and‑white tones to strip away distractions and focus on the raw human drama. The boy’s face—partly obscured by shadow—suggests fear, while the soldiers’ bodies are poised, a silent authority in the frame. The composition draws the eye from the forward motion of the boy to the rigid posture of the officers, highlighting the conflict between movement and restraint.
Beyond its visual power, the photograph serves as a social commentary on the politics of Northern Ireland, showing how everyday life was caught up in the larger struggle. McCullin’s work remains a crucial visual record of that turbulent era, reminding us of the ordinary people who were caught in the crossfire of history.
See it in person
British Soldiers in The Bogside, Londonderry, Arresting a Catholic Youth is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
