Pre-war photograph of Jew taken clandestinely by Roman Vishniac
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 28.190 inches (71.603 cm) | Width: 22.130 inches (56.21 cm)
Creator(s)
- Roman Vishniac (Photographer)
Biographical History
Roman Vishniac was born in 1897 in St. Petersburg, Russia and was educated in the Universities of Moscow and Berlin. From 1933 to 1939, he traveled throughout eastern Europe--Russia, Poland, Rumania, Czechoslovakia, and Lithuania--photographing Jewish communities. He was arrested and imprisoned repeatedly by police who suspected him of photographing Jews. Of the sixteen thousand images he took, two thousand negatives still exist. Vishniac's photographs were made with a hidden Leica camera which he wrapped a handkerchief around and exposed the film as he wiped his brow. He also used a concealed Rollei or 2-1/4 x 2-1/4 camera. The Rollei was kept under his coat with the lens protruding through an enlargened button hole.
Archival History
The photograph was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1991 by Mara Vishniac Kohn, the daughter of Roman Vishniac.
Acquisition
Gift of Mara Vishniac Kohn, The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, University of California, Berkeley
Scope and Content
In the catalog which accompanies the portfolio, Vishniac explained "The basement was divided by wood boards into twenty-six living quarters. This apartment was the most expensive because a little light came from above. But when pedestrians walked on the pavement grating, even this room became dark. This man was working the whole day. The work made it impossible to breath because metal dust was everywhere." Original created by Roman Vishniac, 1936, Warsaw, Poland. Reproduced from original negative by Witkin-Berley Limited, 1977, Roslyn Heights, New York.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Image of man bowed over handwork while a young boy sitting behind him looks over his shoulder and into space; they are seated in a small cluttered room with 2 beds in the background; man sits beside work table and behind tree stump; table is covered with pieces of wood and a mallet; on top of stump is section of tree round split in half and another wood working tool; a washstand is on the opposite side of the room; the floor is cluttered with wood remnants. Image permanently mounted on board; verso, printed label, "print No. 11 of portfolio 33, published in 1977 by Witkin-Berley, Ltd."
Genre
- Photographs
- Object