The Place of Photography in Testimonial Literature

Abstract

It is well-known that photography is absent from the testimonial literature of the survivors of concentration camps, for it was strictly forbidden to take pictures of their imprisonment. As a result, publishers and authors tend to use photographic images of the time before and after, including them as annexes to the book. In these cases, photography seems to maintain its important function of authenticating and objectifying individual testimony. The article will explore the uses of the photographs, the categories of the chosen pictures, and the interaction between photography and text, in order to understand the functions of this practice. Finally, some significant cases of testimonies, in which images are absent, will be discussed to show how the word itself takes over the function of authentic illustration.