TOLKATCHEV, Zinovii.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Flowers of Oświęcim. First edition, number 914 of 1,000 copies signed by the artist on the limitation page and frontispiece as issued. A Soviet Jewish artist, Tolkatchev accompanied the commission investigating Nazi crimes to Auschwitz, arriving within hours of the camp's liberation on 27 January 1945. Using only the materials at hand, Tolkatchev drew many of these images in pencil on Nazi stationery taken from the Auschwitz commandant's office.The resulting images, reproduced here, constitute one of the earliest artistic responses to the Holocaust. The Polish government sent copies to Allied heads of state, ministers, and military leaders. Tolkatchev later wrote, "I did what I had to do; I couldn't refrain from doing it. My heart commanded, my conscience demanded, my hatred for Fascism reigned" (Jones, p. 215). Many of Tolkatchev's drawings are now held at Yad Vashem in Israel.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.