It is last time to see very interesting exhibition in Warsaw -
The Colours of Ruin. Warsaw and Poland in the photographs of Henry N. Cobb. Venue: The Father Jan Twardowski Square.
The city must completely disappear from the surface of the earth and serve only as a transport station for the Wehrmacht. No stone can remain standing. Every building must be razed to its foundation.
—SS chief Heinrich Himmler
Warsaw has to be pacified, that is, razed to the ground.
— Adolf Hitler
I know that sometimes for foreigners it is very tough to understand history of Poland. Very often they are surprised when they discover Warsaw in 1945 was razed to the ground.
In 1947 a group of American architects came to Europe in order to view the rebuilding progress in the countries which had suffered considerable war damage. Their visit included England, Czechoslovakia and Poland. One of them was Henry N. Cobb. His photographs presented in the exhibition – displayed publicly for the first time in Poland – show, among others, Warsaw, Szczecin and Wrocław. It was during these months that Polish architects and town planners were still allowed a degree of freedom in their work.
More information you can find here:
The Colours of Ruin. Warsaw and Poland in the photographs of Henry N. Cobb
1947 BARWY RUIN. Warszawa i Polska w odbudowie na zdjęciach Henry'ego N. Cobba
Below there are some of Henry N. Cobb's photos.
Aleje
Jerozolimskie, róg Brackiej, 1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Plac
Powstańców Warszawy, 1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Aleje
Jerozolimskie, róg Nowego Światu, 1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Ruiny getta,
1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Ruiny getta,
1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Ulica Piwna
na Starym Mieście, 1947 r. Po lewej - kościół św. Marcina. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Poczta Główna na Placu Napoleona, 1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Ulica Boduena w kierunku Szpitalnej, 1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Ulica Boduena w kierunku Szpitalnej, 1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Plac Krasińskich, 1947 r. W centrum
pomnik Jana Kilińskiego, przeniesiony później na Starówkę. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Rynek Starego
Miasta, 1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Plac Zamkowy,
1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Zachęta, 1947
r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Ulica Świętokrzyska, róg placu Powstańców Warszawy, 1947r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
Ulica
Świętokrzyska w stronę Nowego Światu, 1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
The ‘Prudential’ Insurance Socety
skyscraper In Napoleon Square (currently plac Powstańców Warszawy (Warsaw
Insurgents’ Square]). Photo: Henry N. Cobb
Skrzyżowanie Al. Jerozolimskich i
Nowego Światu, 1947 r. Fot. Henry N. Cobb
