Private photos and Holocaust testimony: A complex relationship

Umbach, Maiken; Tofts, Alice

Abstract

This article explores the legibility of photos taken by Jewish victims of Nazi persecution. Many museums have collected private photos from survivors, and use them to illustrate Holocaust testimony. But photos and testimonies are not always neatly aligned; private photos can also confound audience expectations. We focus on four case studies, comprising photos taken in Poland, Germany, and the UK, and interviewed survivors about their significance. Testimonies and personal photos, we conclude, reveal different but complementary aspects of Jewish experiences during the Holocaust, and, if read together, can enrich the way in which modern audiences engage with this difficult history.

Citation

Umbach, M., & Tofts, A. (2022). Private photos and Holocaust testimony: A complex relationship. Holocaust Studies, 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/17504902.2022.2074208

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 3, 2022
• Online Publication Date: May 12, 2022
• Publication Date: May 12, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jun 16, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2023
• Journal: Holocaust Studies
• Print ISSN: 1750-4902
• Electronic ISSN: 2048-4887
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 1-30
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17504902.2022.2074208
• Keywords: Sociology and Political Science; History; Communication; Cultural Studies
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/8138705
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17504902.2022.2074208
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=rhos20; Published: 2022-05-12