In 1911 editor of the New York Evening Journal Arthur Brisbane advised members of the Syracuse Advertising Men’s Club to “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words“. His words would reverberate through time. Brisbane insightfully articulated that photographers are essentially storytellers and their photos would provide us an intimate glimpse of a moment in time. Sometimes one photograph can encompass the entirety of the story, sharing with us an intimate understanding that history (other people’s words) might fail to deliver.
As a mother, I’m particularly drawn to historical images of women and children. Children, after all, have the innate gift of wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Women – mothers, sisters, grandmothers, nieces and daughters- carry the (untold) stories of their lives and the weight of the world on their shoulders in their eyes.
On this 5 of May, I’d like to commemorate National Liberation Day by sharing 10 powerful images of Dutch children celebrating their freedom as World War II comes to an official end in the Spring of 1945. Hopefully these images can become part of our collective consciousness as we remember the sacrifices, heartache and lives lost due to a senseless war – if only for another day.
Princess Juliana and Princess Margriet eturning home to the Netherlands
(All photos (CC-BY-SA) courtesy of the Dutch National Archives)
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