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The Most Famous Holocaust Photo a Fraud
#1 · October 23, 2022, 11:21
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Just over a month ago, I posted an article in which I asserted that arguably the most famous Holocaust photo of all, has been doctored. A version of the above photograph appeared in The New York Times Magazine on page 42 of the Sunday, May 6th, 1945 edition, without the naked gentleman by the post on the right of the photograph.
In that previous article I was relying on a copy I'd purchased and downloaded from The New York Times online archive. And it is an awful copy. So since then I have been endeavouring to track down a better copy of this photo, and this morning I finally succeeded. But it's been a lot of effort, and ended-up costing me over a (U.S.) $100. I first brought an original copy of the May 6th, 1945 edition of The New York Times, which arrived without the magazine section, I visited the National Art Library in London with the deluded belief they had a copy, I contacted the Library of Congress, who I must say were amazingly helpful, and provided me with several copies from the micro-film records they hold (unfortunately another terrible copy), but eventually I found a copy of the magazine on eBay! It was listed with the incorrect date, but as the Library of Congress had provided me with a copy of the front cover of the May 6th, 1945 edition, I knew it was the one I was after. I quickly paid for it, and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival.
I think you'll agree (unless you're a Ho£ocaust profiteer), that it's been well-worth the effort:
Cover of Section 1 of The New York Times, Sunday, May 6th, 1945 (enlarged)
Cover of The New York Times Magazine, Sunday, May 6th, 1945 (enlarged)
The New York Times Magazine, Sunday, May 6th, 1945, pp.42-43. (enlarged)
The New York Times Magazine, Sunday, May 6th, 1945, p.42. (enlarged)
The New York Times Magazine, Sunday, May 6th, 1945, p.42. (Scanned copy, enlarged)
The New York Times Magazine, Sunday, May 6th, 1945, p.42. (Scanned copy, enlarged)
As Eric Hunt pointed out, the man who has been doctored into this photo, does appear in other photos taken at Buchenwald.
Update: January 19, 2013, 14:05 GMT
A friend has created these superb gif images by overlaying my photograph of the Buchenwald photo published in the NYT magazine in 1945, and the official version of the photo held by the U.S. National Archives (no.178 on this list).
Update: April 15, 2013, 23:05 GMT
Above are copies of Auschwitz and Buchenwald survivor Mel Mermelstein's book By Bread Alone: The Story of A-4685 first published in 1979. The copy on the left is a 1981 revised edition, and the other a 1991 reprint.
Inside both of these books (again the 1981 edition is on the left in the photo below), the doctored version of the photo features in a facsimile of part of the Los Angeles Times, April 29, 1945, p.3, which is the earliest publication of this photo (doctored or undoctored) I have so far either found or been able to confirm (see bottom of this post).
Update: April 24, 2013, 22:45 GMT