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.