From one opera house to another
So I have some exciting news about moi, for a change.
When I first traveled back to Ukraine with my three siblings in 2001, I thought that I was embarking on a good news story, something that I could easily divorce myself from. Years later, I can't really say that anymore. Though my great-uncle Shmiel Jäger, his wife Ester and their four daughters were murdered long before I was born, I certainly feel very close to all of them now. My middle name is Jaeger, a name I always hated as a kid--David or Marc sounded better at the time--but now I feel incredibly lucky to have been given it.
Obviously I'm happy that the photographs I took on the many trips I made with Daniel--from Australia to Copenhagen to Ukraine--will be seen in a slightly (!) larger format than they originally appeared. I know I've made jokes about how small they were in print, but obviously The Lost is not a picture book. The original intent behind the photographic documentation of the people and places of The Lost was always as an accompanying exhibition.
I will be taking part in a discussion about The Lost and my photographs on Sunday, October 5th. Le Mémorial de la Shoah is located at 17 rue Geoffroy-l’Asnier in the 4th arrondissement. My brother Daniel will be on hand as well. If you're interested, you can go to the museum's web site, here.Since I led off this post with a photograph I took on our February trip to France, a dusk image shot in front of the Paris Opera House, I'll close with a photograph of an opera house that always conjures much sadder emotions for me. L'viv, a beautiful city in western Ukraine, has its own grand opera house. But as we walked down Prospect Svobody, its main boulevard, on a rainy August day back in 2001, listening to the old-timers sing folk songs and swap stories on park benches, I couldn't help but think of the tens of thousands of Jewish residents who never got the chance to see old age.
Matt
matt
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Response: PhotographerI really enjoyed reading this post, thanks for sharing, I will be back for more.
Reader Comments (14)
Congratulations Matt!
Matt, I'm so happy for you. That book affected me so deeply, I love seeing that you are getting recognition for your contribution. It's weird... just seeing Shmiel's name feels emotional for me too. You and Daniel really made everyone get to know them in the book.
Congratulations!
-Bruce
ok, we've reached the point in our lives where I'm learning important news about my brother from...his blog. Congrats, Matt! This is very exciting news. xoxo Jen
Wow, Matt! Such exciting news! I'm so happy for you! Now if only I could get to Paris to see it in person...
Just let me know if you need an assistant for this, ha. So when is the Holocaust museum in DC going to show your images?
Congrats Matt!
Congratulations Matt! It's a well deserved honor.
Congratulations Matt! That is quite an accomplishment.
Wow! That is amazing. Nice work. I am awfully jealous...I'd love to be in Paris this autumn. The Chagall ceiling in the Opera alone is worth the trip.
I haven't yet read 'The Lost" but I am planning to hop on Amazon right now and rectify that. Sounds too good to miss.
After reading The Lost, I felt intimately connected to the story and your family. I'm so happy that Daniel's superb writing and your wonderful images are getting the recognition they deserve. CONGRATULATIONS, MATT!
Hallo,
I’m Italian and I’ve just finished to read 'The Lost' (the Italian version 'Gli scomparsi').
I found it very interesting and I liked so much your pictures. Congratulations to you and to your brother!!
I would like very much to visit the exhibition but I will be in Paris the week before it will start! What a mess!!
Best Regards,
Valeria
Matt,
This is amazing! Your blog conjured up memories of one of the most powerful exhibitions I ever seen on "the disappeared" of Latin America. Good luck and congratulations. I'll be anxious to hear how it goes!
Good for you, Matt!
And, really: What's in a name?