The underground camera

They secretly documented life in Amsterdam during the last year of the war: the group of photographers who came to be known as The Underground Camera. Guided by German – Jewish filmmaker Fritz Kahlenberg and resistance leader Tonny van Renterghem, they captured images of both the Nazi occupiers and the Dutch resistance groups. They extensively photographed the grueling conditions of the Hunger Winter, and smuggled their illegally taken photos to London to convince the Dutch government-in-exile of the desperate need for food drops by the Allies.

After the war, these photographers – people like Emmy Andriesse, Cas Oorthuys, Charles Breijer, Marius Meijboom, Ad Windig and Krijn Taconis – became household names. Their poignant photo’s made a lasting mark on the collective memory of the occupation. Yet, for a long time, not much was known about their methods, their organization, and the nature and scope of their work. This book, based on new archival research, offers insight into the perilous mission of The Underground Camera and their unique contribution to Dutch history and the history of photography.