The Holocaust is a tragedy of such magnitude
that it can be hard to
comprehend how it affected individuals
About the Project
Photographer Evvy Eisen wanted to portray the Holocaust on a human level to communicate its personal as
well as historical significance. She took portraits of over 200 Holocaust Survivors in the United States and Europe, and collected their personal testimonies.
She created the Multiply by Six Million Project to unify the three major facets of her work -
Survivor Testimonies, Exhibit and Short Film - and make them accessible for viewing and
research. Seeing
Survivor's portraits and reading their moving testimonies presents them as individuals with unique
thoughts and
experiences instead of as nameless members of a massive group.
Eisen's work has been exhibited in the US and Europe. It is in the permanent collections of the United
States
Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris. The Multiply by Six Million
exhibit was
presented with Michael Kenna's Impossible
to
Forget: The Nazi Camps Fifty Years After.
She created the Multiply by Six Million Project to unify the three sections of her work - Survivor Testimonies, Short Film and Exhibit.
Photographer's statement
I met with each survivor several times to get to know them and learn about their life before, during and
after
the war. I photographed them in their home or a place they chose encouraging them to include objects of
personal
significance in their portrait. Each person looked into the lens of my camera so that their eyes
communicate
directly with the photo’s viewer. I gave each Survivor a copy of their portrait.
I used black and white film, a medium format camera and natural light. I did all darkroom work, creating
individual, fine art, silver gelatin prints. The photographs were not digitally manipulated in any way.
I did not accept compensation for my work or reimbursement for any of my expenses. I received limited grant support to pay those worked on preparation of exhibits and creation of the film.
Film
This is important.
This is what happened to me and to
my family.
It should not be forgotten
- Voices of Survivors Introducing Film
This short film combines Evvy's photographs and the voices of survivors recounting moving passages from
their personal stories. It was premiered on the Sundance TV channel.
Exhibit
This exhibit shows people caught in a dark web of hatred and bigotry. It reveals the
power of human courage and creativity in the most desperate circumstances.
The Multiply by Six Million exhibit includes 38 portraits Evvy took of survivors paired with condensed
versions of the testimonies each wrote for this project. It is available to view on this site and as an
in-person traveling exhibit. Both are sponsored by Exhibit Envoy.
