I’d like to think that the popularity of my blog is what pulled you to my page but I’m betting it has to do with the title. You either know what ANTM stands for and wanted the inside scoop on the next season. OR you’re thinking: what does ANTM stand for and how does it relate to history? (for those of you who don’t know what ANTM is, it’s the acronym for a TV show called America’s Next Top Model) Well, Curious George! I’ll tell you. It’s about an issue I had while travelling and visiting historically-sensitive sites and photography etiquette.
This past year I decided to travel to Berlin, which is arguably one of the best cities in Europe. There is so much to see and do that I feel the need to go back again this summer. I spent the day with a few Aussies but soon realized that they just wanted to go shopping and I wanted to go see the many historically significant sites. (Surprise surprise for a historian!) I mean, how can you be in Berlin and not want to see anything related to the World Wars or the division of East and West Berlin? SO, I decided to venture around Berlin on my own just to make sure I didn’t miss a thing! It was a hot summer day and the streets were packed. Tourists were everywhere and taking pictures of everything, which is fine because I was one of them.
I was only in Berlin for 3 days so I had to be picky about what I wanted to see. (Something I wish I could’ve changed) So I decided to spend at least one of these days at the Sachsenhauzen Memorial and Museum, which was a major concentration camp located just outside of Berlin. This camp was suppose to be the template for all the other camps that were set up around Europe. It looked as though only 20 percent of the original camp was preserved and I must say, the owners did a good job at maintaining the original buildings.
This heritage site did not provide tours around the camp so I joined an independent guide who was very knowledgeable about its history. I really appreciated how much information this man could provide the group without anything there to help him. I was enjoying the tour and learning all these news things until we came across the camp’s internal prison. (this was where they kept the big name prisoners. IE. political opponents.) I had ventured through and, at the other end of the building, came across a large pole with a steel rod hanging out. I started looking at this pole and thought: ‘I wonder if that was used for what I think it was used for.’ Eventually, the guide came out with the rest of the group and explained what it was. He said it was used to torture prisoners to reveal information. They used to tie their hands behind their back and throw them up on the pull. (Basically, they were hung from the steel rod with their hands behind their back and if they refused to reveal information, the guards would pull on their legs.) This is arguably one of the worst ways to torture prisoners. It’s absolutely disgusting. Everyone listening made a sound of disgust as he explained its significance and we soon move on.
At that moment, as the group started to walk away, I looked at the pole once more only to discover a young woman getting her picture taken in front of this device with a huge smile and posing with one arm held up along the pole.
Personally, I was SHOCKED. My first thought was: Did she not hear a word our guide just said about how this was a brutal torture device? I was tempted to say something like; “did you seriously just take a picture like that in front of a place where people were tortured and eventually died? Do you have no respect?” You see, I can understand maybe taking pictures of the artefact itself but posing ANTM-style? I just don’t get it.
Nevertheless, it got me thinking. What is the photography etiquette for historically sensitive artefacts? Is it ok for tourists to get pictures with items that were involved in a touchy subject? I really don’t know how to answer my own question here. Am I wrong for thinking this was completely inappropriate? Is it ok to take pictures of yourself in front of a torture device involved in the holocaust?
Tell me. What do you think?
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3 comments:
I say if you're going to do it, at least look like you're not enjoying it. There's nothing quite like looking through photos with friends and explaining what the pole behind you is for when you've got a huge smile on your face!
I am a really big curious george fan, particularily the score for the film by Jack Johnson.
Thank you for blogging about it.
--b
Two years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site (just outside of Munich, Germany). While visiting the site, I took an enormous amount of photographs. My intentions were two-fold, to document what I was seeing and to eventually use these photos as part of a lesson on the Holocaust for my high school history students.
As I was leaving the camp and passing through the gates with the famous inscription, I snapped a photo. Then I struggled with myself and the question of whether it was in poor taste to ask a friend to take my photo in front of these gates. Eventually, though, I did ask. I stood in front of the gates, looked into the lens and and thought about what had happened at this camp that 60 years later drew me to it as a history major and future history teacher.
I didn't smile or pose and I didn't ask my buddy to take multiple shots of me so I could be sure to have one that worked out, but two years later I still find this photo the most problematic of my vacation shots. To be honest, I don't think anyone beside myself has ever seen this photo.
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