Bernhardine Nienau, Chosen by HitlerFor several years before the war, Hitler entertained little Bernile at the Berghof. When her Jewish ancestry was uncovered, he unfriended her. Reluctantly. Continue reading
Real or 1943 ‘Photoshop’?Was this photograph genuine? Hitler had his doubts. Friedrich Paulus, head of the Sixth Army in Stalingrad, was actually a Field Marshal—and German Field Marshals preferred suicide to surrender. At least, they were supposed to.
Winnie’s TinkleIn early March 1945, with the Germans in retreat, it was the snappers who had to hold it in when British Prime Minister Winston Churchill approached the Siegfried Line and relieved himself. Photographers had to exercise self-control. Continue reading
Bengal FamineIn India as in Leningrad and Auschwitz and many other locations during the war, starvation claimed millions of victims, turning people into living skeletons before they died. Continue reading
Concentration Camps Cost ExtraA London wax museum mounted this extraordinary exhibition several months before Germany surrendered—and before Auschwitz was liberated. Continue reading
The Reichstag Red Flag: Faked?Staged? Faked? Like Joe Rosenthal’s famous Iwo Jima image that inspired him, Evgeny Khaldei’s dramatic photograph attracted controversy – and still appears in different versions. Continue reading
Iwo Jima! Staged?Six soldiers raised the flag, photographer Joe Rosenthal took his shot, his photo quickly became a phenomenon – and he was accused of staging the whole thing. Continue reading
FDR’s WheelchairSeated. At his White House desk, or in a car, or in an armchair. Or standing, his arm linked for support by his son or another aide.
In his wheelchair? Almost never. Continue reading
The Minister VanishesThe gap is intriguing: in this small intimate gathering, someone should be on Hitler’s left. Someone was. Continue reading
Location, location, location.When France surrendered to Germany in June 1940, Hitler wanted to rub their noses in it. An old railway carriage did the trick. Continue reading
World War Two Photographs
“I don’t think the camera lies.” Susan Sontag, writer.
“In one way or another, the camera always lies.” Norman Davies, historian.
“Under Stalin’s regime…photographs lied.” Stephen F. Cohen, historian.
“Photographs can’t do the moral or the intellectual work for us. But they can start us on our way.” Susan Sontag.
Iwo’s Sixth ManIn 2016 – nearly 70 years after the fact – the Marine Corp concluded that Navy Corpsman John Bradley was not actually one of the six flag raisers. Alas, Bradley was the best known member of the group. Continue reading
D-Day’s WheelsLanding craft for Operation Overlord carried troops, tanks, guns, trucks, jeeps. and–bicycles and spare tires and wheels. Continue reading
Into the RhinelandGerman troops remilitarized the Rhineland on 7 March 1936, an act of military bravado that was just that – an act. Hitler took a big gamble. He won.
Continue reading
Wartime Pillboxes, Peacetime BritainBuilt to withstand the ravages of war, concrete pillboxes also defy time. Many are still standing. Continue reading
Hitler in Paris (1)This photograph “shocked the world”, according to the small print above the title of this slim volume by Don Nardo. As well it might: Hitler in Paris was the mother of all photo ops. Continue reading
Hitler in Paris (2)If they look, smell and waddle like generals, they must be generals – unless they are architects and sculptors and who knows what else. Continue reading
Hessy Taft: Perfect Aryan Child!When Hessy Levinson was chosen (possibly by Josef Goebbels) as Germany’s most beautiful Aryan child, her parents were more scared than proud. This beauty queen was a time bomb. Continue reading