So How Did it Make You Feel?
The power of propaganda and visual story telling to persuade and deceive.
"Theresienstadt, the Germans permitted representatives from the Danish Red Cross and the International Red Cross to visit in June 1944" https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/theresienstadt-red-cross-visit
Reason for choosing this photograph
Initially, when tasked to find a photograph, my mind thought of the power of propaganda today and in our history. The power an image holds, as without words, it tells us something about the world whether it is true or not. The image pushes our emotions in a certain way whether positive or negative. I decided a picture from the holocaust that portrayed a certain image and message to cover up the reality would best show the extreme of these techniques. I strongly encourage you to read the article to better understand the story.
“ Elaborate measures were taken to disguise conditions in the ghetto and to portray an atmosphere of normalcy. -Bundesarchiv Filmarchiv
Unpacking the image
Taking the different sections into consideration, I would say the mood of this photograph id say it paints the picture of an energetic and well-kept school ground where kids are playing, are formally dressed and are enjoying the business of the day. Looking at this picture, without context, one may believe that this is a happy, wholesome and normal situation. Which was the goal of the people who staged it, it seems very real. However, I noticed, in particular, the prominent placement of the stars which they were all required to wear to let others know their race and single them out. Along with this, I notice the looks of nervous or perhaps distracted faces which I believe helps us see deeper into what was going on. Body language is a big give away if people are uncomfortable or unhappy. It is very clear in today's context, knowing what we know how tragic and powerful a photo like this is. On its own, it claims that segregation and discrimination are ok, the children are better of because of it, it claims innocence. This propaganda goes to show how terrible things can be going on yet our understanding of the situation can be easily taken advantage of by misleading stories told through tagged images. This image paints a powerful story that we now know to be false.
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