Let the Madness Continue: Latest Photo Acquisitions of Bombed Out German Cities During WWII
Some of the photos have such an artistic quality, often straddling between the beautiful and the horrifying.
After being haunted by the Brandstätten images in December, I decided to purchase original photographs of WWII bombed out German cities. So far, I have acquired thirteen photographs from vendors in Europe and the US. One of the photos that I acquired was photographed by the official Nazi Photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann (see images above).
Some of the photos have such an artistic quality, often straddling between the beautiful and the horrifying. The GI photos with their slight motion blur add to the snapshot feel of each image. The RPPCs are simply gorgeous in composition, contrast, and tones. The seller that I purchased these from has more photos of bombed out German cities that I’m eager to buy, but they are pricey. The US Army Photos too, have a simulacrum quality that are riveting and surreal.
Keeping a collection like this does make me feel unsettled at times, especially if the photos arrive psychically charged.
I’ve written about my photo collection before, and I even display some of the photos in my collection on my website. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on my collection as a whole and which areas I want to continue collecting.
Since D-Day 2015, my Nazi Germany photo collection has grown to include several subtopics: military portraits, bombed-out German cities, Messerschmitts, Panzers, and Dorniers (in flight and destroyed), battle scenes, flak guns and military formation. All photos are authentic.
Keeping a collection like this does make me feel unsettled at times, especially if the photos arrive psychically charged. Therefore, I continue to ground myself and spiritually cleanse my house so the intensity of the objects/photos doesn’t get the best of me.