
DECEMBER 1942 – A mother and her two small kids explore Christmas gifts in their home in Kiel, Germany. Scan © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
Here’s another historic Christmas photo. My mother (on the right) had been born earlier that year, in July 1942, and this was her first Christmas. Sitting on the lap of Edith, she watches as her sister Editha unwraps her gifts. The family celebrated this Christmas at home in Kiel-Wik.
I like this photo because Edith looks happy and relaxed, and Editha’s slight motion blur indicates that it’s been like any Christmas when small kids are around – Editha was 1½ years old at that time – filled with joy and action. This is noteworthy as the second world war had been going on for some time, and life had already changed considerably for the people.
This image completes the historic Christmas series from the 1940s. Here are the links to the other images: 1943, 1944, 1945, and 1946.
And with these thoughts I wish you a Merry Christmas!
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | 24-DEC-1942 |
| Location | Kiel, Germany |
| Image Source | 6 x 6 cm print |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, AdobeRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 2525 x 2688 Pixels |
| Copyright | Scan © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
Zanzig.com shows images of the period from 1933 to 1945 only for the purposes of education, the defense against unconstitutional and anti-constitutional efforts, scientific, genealogic and art historical research, reporting on relevant current events, military history, and uniform research. By accessing this page you agree to use the images only for historical or scientific purposes for the reasons mentioned above and to not use them for propaganda purposes in any way, especially within the meaning of German § 86a StGB.