Isabel Wachenheimer kijkt naar haar vader Eugen Wachenheimer en zit bij hem op schoot c. 1932 - 1937

Curator: Here we see "Isabel Wachenheimer kijkt naar haar vader Eugen Wachenheimer en zit bij hem op schoot," a gelatin-silver print dating from around 1932 to 1937. It depicts Isabel looking at her father, Eugen, sitting on his lap. Editor: It's a simple portrait, wouldn't you say? There’s such warmth. A really intimate glimpse of family life in times gone by, all captured in these grainy blacks and whites. Makes you wonder about the bigger story here, right? Curator: Precisely. Its very intimacy is compelling when viewed through the lens of pre-war Europe and the rising tide of antisemitism. Photography of this type gains additional power when considered in the context of both personal and societal upheaval. Editor: Absolutely. I think knowing that this was created when they did lends this whole work such an air of mystery...What are they thinking? Do they have any idea what will be coming? Or am I just projecting too much melodrama here? Curator: The Wachenheimer family faced significant challenges during the Nazi era, enduring persecution and displacement, as Jewish people living in Germany. We can speculate about impending darkness because we know what ultimately came to pass. Editor: So, the child, Isabel: does she make it? One little detail about photography, of course, is the absolute truth. Photography doesn't lie…Does she grow up safely somewhere after the war ends? What about her children or grandchildren? Did her father even imagine those tiny fingers being guided down an iPhone instead of maybe touching these pages we're looking at. Okay now I am definitely getting too imaginative here but that photo does provoke… Curator: That interplay between our contemporary knowledge of history and the image's timelessness does invite imaginative interpretations about resilience, continuity, and the individual against the backdrop of larger historical forces. Editor: Right, right, okay… Well, whatever the rest is, seeing them looking at each other brings such comfort even now. It sort of affirms those family bonds no matter the period. I will stop now, or else it'll be tears next. Thanks for pulling me back to reality. Curator: Indeed. This small, tender portrait leaves a long afterimage—testimony to a powerful connection and testament to the enduring human spirit amid great adversity.