Contextual and Critical Analysis

Critical Analysis - Mendel Grossman 

Mendel Grossman was a photographer during the Second World War. He was a Jewish man who lived in the Lodz Ghetto with his family. At first Grossman photographed landscapes, flowers and still life until he found expression and motion on the streets of the slum and discovered that he could use photography to display the tragedy. Mendel obtained a job in the Photography Laboratory in the Department of Statistics of the ghetto. This was where everything that happened in the Lodz Ghetto was recorded, including photographs. In 1939, the manager of the Jewish organization for the protection of children approached him proposing that he produce an album of Jewish children showing the way they live.  Whilst Grossman was documenting the Jewish people he found it hard to photograph them at their lowest points when their humanity was gone. However, Mendel and other Jewish people thought that it was important that his work continued so that future generations could see the awful way they were forced to live. A way to ensure their memory lived on in history. Although Mendel wasn’t allowed to take these photographs he found another way to do so, by hiding the camera under his coat and controlling it with his hands in his pockets. Nothing stopped Grossman from taking the images, not even the fear of the Gestapo finding out. 

One of Mendel Grossman’s pieces of work was focused around the lives of the children in the Lodz. As mentioned before this particular piece of work was proposed by the Organization for children’s protection. I have selected one of these images, displayed above. This particular image stood out to me due to the sheer fact that it isn’t as awful as other photographs upon first sight however when looking at the meaning it is slightly sinister. At face value there are two boys smiling, playing around together, one dressed up as a policeman pretending to arrest the other. Both have a smile on their face as to them this means nothing more than a game, whereby they pretend to be the adults that they see around them. However the contextual background of this image gives us a different view. As we know this photograph was taken during the Second World War in the Lodz Ghetto where many Jewish people were left to starve and treated poorly. The Gestapo (German Police) was mainly in control of the treatment of the Jewish people however some Jewish people who worked in Law Enforcement were made to work with the Gestapo against their own people. This is the sinister nature behind the photograph as the young boys are oblivious to the fact that him arresting this man means far more than punishment. It meant death, or torture however this was beyond what the children knew, especially as it was their parents, their families that were in these positions. This is quite probable in this situation due to the fact that the child is wearing a uniform it could mean that his father is in the Police force therefore he dresses up like him. Mendel’s images were shot in black and white due to not having a colour camera however I think this adds to the awful feeling of his work. With the absence of color brings the absence of life, a dull feeling that links to the way the people had to live. Without being able to leave the Ghetto, see the rest of the world or live in the way that they want to is the absence of being able to live. The body language of the young boy in the black police outfit seems very controlling, the hand reaching onto his shoulder looks like he's holding him in place, he has total control of the situation. His outstretched arm we can see is holding a stick against the other boy, this could also represent control as it can be seen as a threat of punishment if he disobeys. The stick in many police practices was used to punish people when they wouldn't conform to what they were being asked to do. The chimney in the background could represent the time this photo was taken, from contextual information we know this was taken in the Lodz Ghetto during World War 2, this is when concentration camps were being set-up for Jewish people by the Nazi's. The chimney could represent these concentration camps of often people were killed and their bodies burned. Again this adds to the sinister nature of the photograph as the boys are playing not really knowing what is going on around them, oblivious to the fact that the way they are playing can be seen on the streets when actual Nazi's are treating Jewish men like this.