Mendel Grossman was a Jewish documentary photographer who
took photos documenting the changes to Poland around 1939 as a result of
Hitler’s rise to power and the outbreak of WW2. Mendel went to great lengths to capture these moments in history in a dangerous environment he created his own lenses and used to carry his camera through holes cut in to his pockets and open his coat to take covert photos. The above image is a photo taken as part of
a series focusing on life in the Lodz ghetto where Jewish people from Austria,
Germany, Luxembourg and Czechoslovakia were sent to carry out labour in poor
conditions (Ghettos should not be confused with Nazi Concentration or death
camps which were where Ghetto inhabitants were often sent). The Ghetto’s in Germany and Poland were used
to segregate the Jewish people from the rest of the pure German population as
Hitler was on a quest to create an aryan and perfect race. It should be noted that the anti-semetic
views of this time period were not unique to Germany but were also prevalent in
Russia, which lead to Trotsky feeling unable to take power and the consequent
rise of Stalin.
The above photo shows at first glance what appears to be two
boys playing "cops and robbers" however the images punctum adds a colder element
to the image. The fact that the child is
smiling can either be seen by the viewer as a smile of innocence and naivety of
the horrors facing the Jewish people at this time. This image however may also be interpreted as
a display of the boy in the uniform taking power over the Jewish people despite
the fact that both of the boys in question are of Jewish descent which can be
inferred from the fact that they are both currently living in the Ghetto. The more sinister reason for the smile can be
supported by the fact that the boy is wearing what appears to be a replica of
the Jewish Police of the Ghetto’s uniform and is therefore acting out a role he
has seen others perform. There are multiple
possible reasons for this firstly it is possible that the boy’s father is a
member of the Jewish Ghetto police as there is other photographic evidence of
the sons of policemen wearing replica uniforms (see the image below), the
second plausible reason for this behaviour is the fact that the child has
witnessed the comparative luxury in which the Jewish Ghetto police are gifted
with for there betrayal of their race.
This comparative luxury was witnessed by Mendel himself whom snuck into
various officers parties and was horrified by the luxurious food and belongings
they had in comparison to the general Jewish Ghetto population who were living
in famine and squalor.
From the images studium it can be inferred that the Ghetto’s
are a poor and labour intensive environment.
This can be seen from the fact that the boy appears to be dressed in
clothing associated with the lower classes and factory workers, the idea that
factory work is taking place in the Ghettos can be supported by the chimney
which is present in the background of the images left third. The poverty of the Ghetto can also be seen
from the shabby buildings in the images background as well as the decaying
fence which runs across the images middleground.
In conclusion this image successfully documents an element
of the Ghettos and humanity itself which is even darker than the Nazi regime
and that is mans ability to turn on ones own in their time of need for a
personal gain. This deep analysis of
humanity and the human psyche is what qualifies this image to be regarded as
fine art and why it is still especially relevant today.
Questions:
How has your research informed your understanding of Life in the Jewish Ghetto?
Researching this topic has not particularly informed me about Life in the Jewish Ghetto as I have studied this topic previously however it has informed me on the lengths which people will go to in order to document the harsh realities of the world.
How does your research help you in recognizing photography as a documentary tool?
Researching this topic has helped me to see that documentary photography can be a vastly important historical tool for people to learn about important and tragic events opposed to just a way for people to document their everyday lives.
Researching this topic has helped me to see that documentary photography can be a vastly important historical tool for people to learn about important and tragic events opposed to just a way for people to document their everyday lives.
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