CAMERA OBSCURA

Pre-Second World War Lithuanian Jewish Photographs
A Pictorial History Exposed

CAMERA OBSCURA

Pre-Second World War Lithuanian Jewish photographs provide a unique and irreplaceable record of a civilisation that no longer exists. Camera Obscura is an unparalleled cultural history and provenance research project that celebrates these magical images through the eyes of the mostly forgotten women and men who made them, that documents the innumerable stories of their almost total destruction during the German occupation of Lithuania between June 1941 and January 1945, and that provides detailed information about the location and life stories of the relatively few photographs that managed to survive. Officially launched on January 1, 2025, the Camera Obscura project is partially funded with assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the EVZ Foundation and the German Federal Ministry of Finance.

The Camera Obscura project remains very much a work in progress. If you'd like to make a financial contribution towards its continuing development, please don't hesitate to hit the blue Donate button at the bottom of the page (↓). To find out how to get involved in the project as a volunteer, click here.

IN FOCUS

DOWN BY THE SEA

The British photographer Leon Balk's children, Judith and David, pose for their picture in their father’s photography studio in Klaipėda a few months before Nazi Germany occupies the city. Down by the Sea is a story in development that explores the Balk family’s fascinating life in England and Lithuania, and that ends with their escape to England via the British Embassy in Berlin in April 1939. Click here for more.

Photo courtesy of Martin Balk.

UNESCO

An inspired attempt to have analogue photography recognised as intangible cultural heritage in Germany was recently (April 2025) approved by the country’s UNESCO Commission. The first of its kind, the small team behind the campaign is now planning to gain recognition around the world. Camera Obscura is currently trying to get a meeting with Lithuania’s UNESCO Commission in Vilnius to see what can be done to help move things along here.

NEW TOOL KIT

If you've ever struggled to make sense of your late grandmother's old photographs because didn't think it was important to ask her when she was still alive, the new Tool Kit section is here to help.

Photo courtesy of Zach Miller.

GRAVE PORTRAITS

Pioneered in France in 1854, the process of reproducing photographic portraits onto ceramic and metal surfaces soon became a popular way of memorialising recently deceased family members in Roman Catholic communities around the world. First appearing on Jewish graves in Eastern Europe at around the time of the First World War, several extraordinary examples of the practice survive in Lithuania. Camera Obscura is currently researching the story, and will be publishing more on the subject soon. Click on the image to see the full size version.

ORPHANED IMAGES

Coming soon.

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