Saragat speak at a Third Force meeting in Rome, gelatin-silver print, David Seymour ('Chim'), 1948

Two politicans on a podium infront of imposing Italian palaces; one man is speaking into a microphone, both arms raised above his head in a passionate discourse. Political slogans are emblazoned on the balcony - 'Guistizia Liberta', 'Votate Unita Socialista'.

Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of Ben Shneiderman

The Third Force was a slogan adopted by a group of Social Democrats in Italy, led by Guiseppe Saragat, to define themselves as neither with the USSR or the USA in the post-War situation. This photograph was almost certainly taken during the 1946 General Election campagin. Some 'third forzizas' were fairly right-wing anti-Communist Social Democrats, while others were Trotskyists who didn't wish to be linked to Moscow. A key third forziza was the writer Ignazio Silone. Most slipped back towards the Socialist Party after 1956.

David Seymour, or Chim, was one of the most important photojournalists of the mid-20th Century. He was the first vice president of the Magnum photo agency, founded in 1947, and a photographer committed to recording the human consequence of civil unrest. The V&A holds a selection of Seymour's photographs that includes work from some of his most well-known assignments, for example photographing during the Spanish Civil War, the early years of the state of Israel and his international work for UNICEF, newly founded in 1948.

E.3779-2007