DECEMBER 1942 – Edith Schweim with her kids Editha (left) and Inga explore Christmas gifts in their home in Kiel, Germany. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: Otto Schweim
The story behind the image
Here’s a historic Christmas photo from the family archive. My mother Inga (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 (born in 1941) unwraps her gifts. The family celebrated this Christmas at home in Kiel-Wik.
I like this photo because Edith looks happy and relaxed, even peaceful. Editha’s 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, and the parents tried to shield them from the effects of war as good as possible. 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 is part of a larger Christmas series from the 1940s. Here are the links to other images of the series: 1943, 1944, 1945, and 1946.
Merry Christmas!
Design ideas
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, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 2581 x 2759 Pixels |
| Copyright | Scan © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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