Walter Thalheimer, Born 1925, Oehringen, Germany
Artist
Jeffrey Wolin
(American, 1951-)
CultureAmerican
Date1993
MediumToned gelatin silver print with marker
DimensionsOverall: 16 × 20 in. (40.6 × 50.8 cm)
Overall, Image: 14 7/8 × 18 in. (37.8 × 45.7 cm)
Overall, Mat: 24 1/8 × 26 1/8 in. (61.3 × 66.4 cm)
Overall, Image: 14 7/8 × 18 in. (37.8 × 45.7 cm)
Overall, Mat: 24 1/8 × 26 1/8 in. (61.3 × 66.4 cm)
InscribedThe photograph contains the text of one of Walter's experiences at Theresienstadt, a concentration camp, during World War II.
Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds provided by Dr. and Mrs. Robert M. Rubin
Object number99.7.2
Not on view
DescriptionThis is a toned gelatin silver print with marker. This is a portrait of Walter Thalheimer, a Holocaust survivor. He is shown holding a tray of machinist's tools.Label TextJeffrey Wolin American, b. 1951 Walter Thalheimer, Born 1925, Ochringen, Germany, 1993 Toned gelatin silver print (photograph) with marker Jeffry Wolin combined text and image in this portrait of Holocaust survivor Walter Thalheimer to link the sitter’s past and present. The Nazi’s prohibited Jews from attending public schools, but allowed them to learn trades, and Thalheimer holds various objects that demonstrate his work as a tool and die maker. The text is Thalheimer’s account of his experiences in Thereseinstadt, a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. The Nazi’s used the camp to stage a propaganda film called “Hitler Gives the Jews a Town,” and Thalheimer describes how he and his campmates were compelled to play along. He contrasts this with the murderous realities he witnessed later, including the terrifying executions of fellow captives. At the end of the text, Thalheimer notes: “When you think back it’s like a dream almost. Sometimes you wonder, ‘Is it reality?’” The image-text combination stands as a powerful testament to this personal loss and survival. Museum purchase, with funds provided by Dr. and Mrs. Robert M. Rubin 99.7.2 Exhibition History"Written in Memory: Portraits of the Holocaust. Photographs by Jeffrey A. Wolin," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, The Alice R. and Sol B. Frank Photography Gallery, October 13 - December 13, 1998. "Portraying a Nation: American Portrait Photography, 1850-2010," Alice R. and Sol B. Frank Photo Galleries, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, August 25, 2010 - September 11, 2011. "Photographs Take Time: Pictures from the Chrysler Collection," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, April 6 - August 26, 2018.Published ReferencesWRITTEN IN MEMORY: PORTRAITS OF THE HOLOCAUST. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFFREY A. WOLIN (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, Published in conjunction with Catherine Edelman Gallery, 1997), pp. 38-39; Ill. p. 39.
Bruce Davidson
