Senior Curator and Head of Education Dr Barbara Warnock, said: ‘The Wiener Holocaust Library holds the largest collection of pre Nazi-era Jewish family photographs in Britain. These precious materials document the lives of Jews in Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, giving us a unique insight into this lost world. The Library has a vital role to play in collecting and preserving these important historical images, and we are so pleased to be able to be share with the public some of these powerful photographs. This exhibition focuses on often overlooked photographs from our Jewish family papers collections and show the range and diversity of these documents: subjects are shown at home; on holiday; as professionals; as family members, and pursuing sporting and leisure activities. It is fascinating to see how people fashioned their own identities through the creation of these images.’
The Wiener Holocaust Library appreciates the generous support of Arts Council England towards the digitisation of family papers collections.