Gerda Taro (1910––1937) was a pioneering photo-journalist whose brief career consisted almost exclusively of dramatic photographs from the front lines of the Spanish Civil War, working alongside Robert Capa. While covering the crucial battle of Brunete in July 1937 she was struck by a tank and killed. Her photographs, many of which can be seen here, are a striking but little-known contribution to the history of war photography.

The work of Vivian Maier (1926-2009), the 'Emily Dickinson of photography' (New Republic article here) is unique and once seen never forgotten. There is a website here with hundreds of her photographs.

Sally Mann (born 1951) is a fascinating and, to some, controversial photographer, controversial because her photographs are never easy and often verge on the appalling. Here is Damaged Child (1984). Sally Mann has written a superb memoir called Hold Still (2016). Here is a good piece about wha makes her work so difficult.

The photographer Grace Robertson died aged 90 two weeks ago, here is her obituary. We would have liked to celebrate her on the Post this week but all her work is enmeshed in copyright protection, even if one's only motive is celebratory rather than commercial, so we can only pay tribute by pointing Post readers towards her obituary and making do with celebrating five other women photographers who are less enmeshed in copyright protection. This is 'My Niece Julia', Julia Margaret Cameron's 1867 portrait of her niece, Julia Jackson – mother of Virginia Woolf. It's in the National Media Museum, Bradford/Science and Society Picture Library here. 

And if we had to suggest just one wildflower seed (99p for hundreds here) it would undoubtedly be the poppy. On Monday we showed a grey one but here is the classic, timeless red poppy. (It is the classic timeless quality that has made it a symbol of the fallen dead of the First World War.) Poppies are not easy to introduce into a garden but sometimes establish themselves in unexpected places. Let's give it a try in 2021 as a symbol of new beginnings.

Who managed not to shed a tear during the inauguration ceremony yesterday? And the genius of having all those flags instead of people! So, on the seeds/new shoots theme: some are hoping that Jill Biden will restore the White House Rose Garden (above as it used to be), in particular  bring back the wonderful trees – the Trumps gave the garden a makeover and it now looks like an airport landing strip (which was probably what they intended). But surely the Bidens will think it a waste of money to do another major change? Let's hope they simply bring in Michelle Obama to dig up the horrible vast lawn and turn it into an organic vegetable patch (a few years ago she wrote a good book called American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens across America) or even a wildflower meadow.  Both would be wonderfully symbolic of the new dawn that began yesterday.

The internet was down for nearly 24 hours (it went last night as we were watching Parade's End episode 2!) but it is now back and we are about to celebrate Biden. If only it was the end of Trumpism. But just remember people that 70 million votes were cast for Trump. And feel despairing or humbled or furious or whatever emotion helps you along. Meanwhile, seeds: we are feeling too impatient and despairing and goodness knows what else today so the only thing that will help is the already blooming ie - hyacinths. This container, planted up with white hyacinths, would be a perfect present for you or for someone else. It 's not cheap but hey we all need a bit of indulgence at the moment. It's from the sensibly named Plants by Post here.