Holocaust Survivors

Holocaust Survivors is a series of portraits of Holocaust survivors photographed by acclaimed British photographer Harry Borden.

Harry’s approach has been to focus on each survivor’s dignity and humanity. Each participant is asked to provide a hand written statement to be displayed alongside their image to further personalise the portrait. Avoiding ephemeral lighting techniques of current photographic practice, Harry simply uses available light. The lack of production and the decision to photograph people in their home environment creates an intimacy.

From surviving the most extraordinary circumstances during WW2 to later returning to living ordinary lives, Holocaust survivors are a unique generation of human beings from whom we can gain insight. Producer and journalist Miriam Hechtman joined Harry on this journey in 2009 to document the photography process on video and interview survivors about life after war. Miriam is currently compiling a multimedia project from the interviews and footage to accompany the photography exhibition.

With the majority of survivors no longer with us, it is imperative that we take this last moment to photograph and engage with this distinctive group of people.