5 Images Of Disturbing Historical Moments

Some historical photographs are difficult to view precisely because they record real events rather than fictional scenes. The context behind an image matters, particularly when photographs show victims of war or disaster.

1. Liberation Of Nazi Concentration Camps

Photographs taken as Allied forces liberated camps including Buchenwald, Dachau and Bergen-Belsen in 1945 revealed emaciated survivors, overcrowded barracks and large numbers of dead prisoners.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum preserves extensive collections of these photographs. It explains that American military photographers and individual soldiers documented what they encountered, creating evidence of Nazi crimes.

2. Hiroshima After The Atomic Bomb

Photographs of Hiroshima following the atomic bombing on 6 August 1945 show enormous areas of the Japanese city reduced to ruins.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum preserves photographs, survivor testimony and objects documenting the destruction. Historical images should be viewed alongside information about the people affected rather than simply as dramatic pictures.

3. The Vietnam War's "Napalm Girl"

Nick Ut's 1972 photograph shows children fleeing after a napalm attack near Trảng Bàng in South Vietnam. At its centre is nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc, badly burned by napalm.

Associated Press records identify Ut as the photographer and document the circumstances surrounding the image.

4. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Photographs from New York's 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire documented a disaster in which 146 workers died. Many victims were young immigrant women.

The US National Park Service and US Department of Labor preserve historical accounts of the disaster and its significance to workplace safety reform.

5. Auschwitz's Child Survivors

One haunting series shows children shortly after the Soviet liberation of Auschwitz on 27 January 1945.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum identifies photographs of surviving children leaving barracks after liberation.

How To Examine Historical Images

When encountering disturbing historical photographs:

• Identify the photographer and date.
• Check an archive or museum record.
• Read what happened before and after the photograph.
• Be cautious of captions added later on social media.
• Remember that photographs of suffering depict real people, not simply historical curiosities.

Different countries maintain their own national archives, museums and rules concerning publication of sensitive material, so availability and presentation can vary.