--- description: 1936 - 2008A deep humanity guided the legendary Magnum photographer over decadesdocumenting the toll of war title: Philip Jones Griffiths image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) # Philip Jones Griffiths by [TIME](/author/time/) Mar 25, 2008 4:00 AM CUT by [TIME](/author/time/) Mar 25, 2008 4:00 AM CUT 1936 – 2008A deep humanity guided the legendary Magnum photographer over decadesdocumenting the toll of war ### Deadly Gaze  A U.S. soldier takes a firing position during a battle in Saigon in 1968.Griffiths' most iconic work was published in the groundbreaking book VietnamInc., which was published while that war still raged. A U.S. soldier takes a firing position during a battle in Saigon in 1968.Griffiths' most iconic work was published in the groundbreaking book VietnamInc., which was published while that war still raged. ### ‘Vietnam Inc.’  A wounded Marine photographed during the Tet offensive in 1968\. AfterVietnam Inc. was published in 1971, Griffiths was expelled from SouthVietnam. Then South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu said at thetime,"There are many people I don't want to see back in my country, butbelieve me, Mr. Griffiths is at the top of that list." A wounded Marine photographed during the Tet offensive in 1968\. AfterVietnam Inc. was published in 1971, Griffiths was expelled from SouthVietnam. Then South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu said at thetime,"There are many people I don't want to see ### Suspect  A Vietnamese youth is detained near Saigon by U.S. forces in 1968. A Vietnamese youth is detained near Saigon by U.S. forces in 1968. ### Human Toll  Tran Ngoc, photographed in Vietnam in 1998, suffers from Spina Bifida and ismentally retarded. His father lived in an area sprayed with Agent Orangeduring the war. Griffiths had returned to Vietnam to photograph the effectsof the chemical agent used by U.S. forces. Tran Ngoc, photographed in Vietnam in 1998, suffers from Spina Bifida and ismentally retarded. His father lived in an area sprayed with Agent Orangeduring the war. Griffiths had returned to Vietnam to photograph the effectsof the chemical agent used by U ### A Painful Peace  Vietnamese children suffering from birth defects caused by Agent Orangephotographed in 1998\. In 2005, Griffiths published Viet Nam at Peace, a 25year study exploring the long-term consequences of the war. Vietnamese children suffering from birth defects caused by Agent Orangephotographed in 1998\. In 2005, Griffiths published Viet Nam at Peace, a 25year study exploring the long-term consequences of the war. ### Refugee  A boy tied to a tree stump in the Fugnido refugee camp in western Ethiopiain 1988\. He was believed to have been suffering the mental effects of thetrauma of seeing his family obliterated by the Sudanese army. A boy tied to a tree stump in the Fugnido refugee camp in western Ethiopiain 1988\. He was believed to have been suffering the mental effects of thetrauma of seeing his family obliterated by the Sudanese army. ### Legacy  Refugees flee to the city of Juba from the civil war in southern Sudan,1988\. Philip Jones Griffiths died at home in West London on March 19, 2008. Photographs by Philip Jones Griffiths / Magnum Photos ### Wanting a Drink  Friends of a man executed earlier the same morning in 1958 at London'sPentonville Prison await the opening of a pub opposite the prison gate. Anative Welshman, Griffiths moved to the British capital in the 1950s tofreelance for the Manchester Guardian. Friends of a man executed earlier the same morning in 1958 at London'sPentonville Prison await the opening of a pub opposite the prison gate. Anative Welshman, Griffiths moved to the British capital in the 1950s tofreelance for the Manchester Guardian. ### Frontline  Residents of a working class neighborhood in Northern Ireland, wheretensions between Catholics and Protestants were rising when this photographwas taken in 1965. Residents of a working class neighborhood in Northern Ireland, wheretensions between Catholics and Protestants were rising when this photographwas taken in 1965. ### Life in Wartime  A resident mows her lawn as a British soldier hides in her garden inNorthern Ireland, 1973. A resident mows her lawn as a British soldier hides in her garden inNorthern Ireland, 1973. ### In Country  A casualty of the battle for Saigon during the Tet Offensive of 1968\. From1966 to 1971, Griffiths covered the war in Vietnam for U.S. and Europeanpublications. A casualty of the battle for Saigon during the Tet Offensive of 1968\. From1966 to 1971, Griffiths covered the war in Vietnam for U.S. and Europeanpublications. ### Crater  Destruction wrought by a U.S. raid aimed at stopping the flow of weaponsinto South Vietnam on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1968. Destruction wrought by a U.S. raid aimed at stopping the flow of weaponsinto South Vietnam on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1968. ### Unknown Civilian  An injured Vietnamese woman, 1967. An injured Vietnamese woman, 1967. ### Against the Current  A refugee leaves an area being bombarded by U.S. forces countering the TetOffensive in 1968. A refugee leaves an area being bombarded by U.S. forces countering the TetOffensive in 1968. ### Under Fire  U.S. soldiers make their way through a trench near Saigon, 1968. U.S. soldiers make their way through a trench near Saigon, 1968. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7068234/philip-jones-griffiths/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7068234/philip-jones-griffiths/"},"headline":"Philip Jones Griffiths","datePublished":"2008-03-25T04:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T10:45:47.245Z","description":"1936 - 2008A deep humanity guided the legendary Magnum photographer over decadesdocumenting the toll of war","url":"https://time.com/archive/7068234/philip-jones-griffiths/","keywords":["LightBox"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME","url":"https://time.com/author/time/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-lightbox/","name":"LightBox"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/archive/7068234/philip-jones-griffiths/","name":"Philip Jones Griffiths"}}]}] ```