War is over Don’t forget the war

Ypres Salient

World War II in Europe

Holocaust

Liberation

Anam

orfose Cahier 1

Cover photo: Capt. Herman Wall, landing in Normandy, 1944, US Signal Corps

Some photos in this publication may shock you.

The Cahier is edited by AnamorFose.be Nieuwstraat 11 B-8870 Izegem, Belgium

Phone: + 32 476 49 19 71 xavier@anamorfose.be www.anamorfose.be

© 2013 Xavier Debeerst

War is over Don’t forget the war

Photo essay about the two World Wars that dominated the Twentieth Century

Although I wasn’t around yet at the time, the First and Second World War have always played an important role in my life. I was born in Ypres, a city completely destroyed during the First World War.

My grandmother stayed in Ypres until 1916 and witnessed several bombings and the destruction of the city and of life as she knew it. She used to tell me about the war. Not only about the horror, the fear and the struggle for survival but also about the children getting used to the war and playing in the ruins. 30 years later my parents suffered the same fate during the Second World War. They witnessed the terror of the Nazi regime and other extremist groups. They too had to struggle to survive amidst destruction and death. My grandmother’s and my parents’ stories had an important element in common : nobody wanted the war. Not the soldiers on either side nor the civilians. Most soldiers they met, allied as well as German, didn’t want to be part of the war. They were simply forced to and had no other choice.

Both World Wars were incited by leaders, far away from the battlefields. They started the war and incited hatred among the people.

Personally I have difficulties to understand how people can start a war. How soldiers (the ordinary man in the street) can kill. Extremism scares me because it seems to be able to turn people into machines.

I always wonder what happens to soldiers and civilians once the war has ended. How do they manage to pick up the pieces and continue a normal, peaceful life after all that has happened?

Those were the questions on my mind when composing this catalogue of war photos. Photos of battlefields, war leaders, holocaust, ordinary people trying to survive the war.

War is over, don’t forget the war.

Xavier Debeerst, September 2013

EDITO

Twentieth century Europe was dominated by the two World Wars, which have changed the face of Europe and the rest of the world forever.

For the first Anamorfose Cahier we have selected a number of photos from our collection, illustrating both World Wars. No complete historical overview but a photo essay based on some very remarkable and original prints.

World War I The Cahier sets off in November 1914 with a picture of African Soldiers in Veurne, Belgium. Photos of First World War African soldiers are rare. A group, often forgotten by history.

Of course Ypres and the Salient take an important place in the story of the First World War. We have selected three iconic photos by the Brothers Antony of Ypres. They were the only photographers in the ruins of Ypres. Three photos of the Medieval Cloth Hall in the different states of destruction.

Ypres Salient was an important battlefield. We can hardly imagine the circumstances the soldiers in the trenches had to live and fight in. A set of 17 large size snapshots made by a Belgian photographer offer an interesting and intriguing insight in the life in and behind the trenches.

World War II In the 1930s a period of peace came to its end with the rise of several nationalist parties. The 1935 photo of the Nuremberg Nazi Congress is the first image of the rise of the nationalist party in Germany.

Striking is the photo album of a German Officer in the period 1936–1943. This album shows the preparation of the war, the celebration of Hitler’s birthday and the battlefields of Eastern Europe and Russia. Sometimes shocking images.

The US Signal Corps played an important role in the registration of the Second World War. The first set are photos of the Nazi bosses made by the Signal corps from captured German movies.

Very intriguing are the photographs of the landing of the allied troupes on Omaha Beach in Normandy on 6 June 1944 made by Capt. Herman Wall. These are the very first photos of the landing. You can almost feel the coast coming closer and see the soldiers preparing themselves for the landing. The sequence of these 12 large images is like a movie of the landing. Some of the images have become icons in our collective memory. The photographer, Capt. Herman Wall, got severely injured during the landing. He endured a crossfire for three hours before being evacuated. Capt. Wall lost his leg on Omaha Beach but still managed to get his film by pigeon post to the authorities to be developed. This is as close as we will ever get to the heroic landing in Normandy.

Intro

Liberation Although being the symbol for the end of the war, the landing in Normandy didn’t mean the immediate end of the war.

It took some time to free the rest of Europe. Photos of the liberation of Paris show the fights in the streets of Paris.

When the allied troupes continued their way through Europe, they discovered the atrocities of the Nazi regime. The discovery and liberation of several concentration camps was a shock for the entire world. The photos of the concentration camps went around the world and were published in all newspapers.

In May 1945 the allied and the German leaders gathered in Rheims for the surrender negotiations. The beginning of another chapter in the twentieth century history.

The Cahier ends with a positive note. The preparation of Liberation Day in France with lots of wine…

“This photo was taken by Captain Herman Wall, commander of the 165th Signal Photographic Company. Having landed on Omaha Beach, Captain Wall and his men appear to have snapped away fairly uneventfully for an hour or so. However, Wall then suffered a serious leg wound, and was isolated from medical help for some time by enemy fire. He was eventually evacuated on a British-crewed craft, all the time insisting on keeping the camera which, very possibly, still contained this shot in undeveloped state. Part of Captain Wall's injured leg later had to be amputated. A notable image; thanks for posting. Best regards, JR”

Sales Terms & Conditions The photos can be ordered by e-mail (xavier@anamorfose.be) or in the Collector’s Room. The photos can be picked up at the Gallery in Izegem, Belgium or are shipped with registered mail. We have been searching for a shipping method which guarantees the best security at the most interesting cost. We have the best experiences with Registered Mail by the Belgian Post. Other shipping methods are possible. Please contact us prior to your order. All photographs are available for inspection on our premises by appointment, or at your location through special arrangement. The availability of photographs is subject to prior sale. All prices are subject to change without notice. All photographs are returnable within seven (7) days of their delivery date, packed carefully in the same packing material in which they were received and insured for their full value. All prices are in Euro and do not include shipping. Payment is required in Euro either by PayPal or by Direct Bank Transfer. All transactions are confidential and, unless specifically authorized, credit card details are deleted from our records when transactions are complete. Items will be dispatched following payment authorization. Order acknowledgments and invoices will be e-mailed unless an alternative is requested. A "no quidable" refund (minus shipping charges) is offered for items safely returned within seven days of receipt. Payment must be made in Euro, payable in a Belgian bank. Institutions will be invoiced net thirty (30) days. In such cases, shipping charges will appear as a separate amount on the invoices. Foreign orders are sent by registered mail, unless otherwise specified by prior arrangement. Foreign shipments are subject to the customs regulations of the country to which they are sent. AnamorFose is not responsible for any violation of these regulations, nor for securing import licenses. It is the responsibility of the buyer to handle any customs questions or to settle any official actions taken as a result of an attempt to deliver the purchases. Belgian sales tax of 6% will be collected where applicable. European residents holding valid tax exempt numbers should include these numbers on their orders. Any sale of these photographs does not constitute an implied sale of the copyright, or rights to reproduce the photograph in any way. AnamorFose makes no statement or claim concerning copyrights for any photographs sold through its Virtual Gallery. Anyone wanting to use any of the photographs displayed here for any purpose other than viewing them on this site must receive specific permission in writing from AnamorFose.

© Anamorfose 2013