Objects

Photograph of Czesław Ćwiąkalski and Teodor Braunstein (?)

The photograph depicts Teodor Braunstein (according to the description on the reverse of the photograph, reading uncertain) and Czesław Ćwiąkalski. The photograph comes from the collection of Ćwiąkalski's daughter, Barbara Macyszyn, from whom it was acquired by the donor, Bogusław Gołębiowski. It is dated on the back to 1945. We do not know whether the photograph was taken before the beginning of May 1945 or later.

As can be inferred from the description, probably made by Ćwiąkalski, the men are standing by the headquarters of the Joint (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) - a brick building with two wooden doors is visible in the background (narrow windows above them, as wide as the doors, set in recesses by the doorframes, are also visible). At the door behind Ćwiąkalski's back there is an inscription or sign on the wall, difficult to read (Persian?). The men stand facing each other, each leaning one of their arms against their side. Ćwiąkalski in beret, Braunstein with eyes closed.

We are not sure whether Braunstein - if the surname has been read correctly - was Jewish, but it is a common surname for Polish Jews. The location also makes the hypothesis of the Jewish ancestry of the person depicted plausible - there were a large number of Jews in Iran at the time, often supported by the Joint, including many who were part of the Polish Armed Forces in the USSR and later (1942-1944) of the Polish Army in the East.

Print edges straight, with margin. In the middle of the reverse there is “12”, written in pencil, presumably the photographer's annotation.

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Information about the object
Author/creator
unknown
Object type
photography
Time of creation / dating
20th century
Created place
Tehran (Iran)
Technique
black-and-white photograph
Material
photographic print paper
Keywords
Copyright status
the object is not protected by copyright law
Owner
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Identification number
MPOLIN-A2.2.15