Hay Camp 1940-41
Object numberM2019/016:007
TitleHay Camp 1940-41
Creator Alfred Landauer
DescriptionWoodblock print of Hay camp, 1940-1941. Although unsigned, the artist is Alfred Landauer.
Woodcut prints are an effective medium to produce multiple copies of one work, enabling artists to exchange their works with one another and give gifts on special occasions. Made by Alfred Landauer, ‘Hay Camp’ was reproduced many times and handed out to fellow internees. The work depicts a desert flower growing in an IXL tin on a window sill. IXL is an iconic brand associated with jams and other fruit based products. ‘I excel in everything I do’ was said to be founder Henry Jones’ personal motto. The open window and freedom it implies beyond is grounded by the reality of the barracks and watch tower in the distance. Landauer, a commercial artist and musician from Vienna, also conducted the camp orchestra. He carved this image using timber that the huts were made of. His creativity has turned a bleak environment into a picturesque still-life.
On the back of the cardboard backing, in pencil is signed 'Lothar Markiewicz Hay, 18 Mai 1941'.
The Markiewicz Collection consists of private letters, official documents and personal papers which record the survival stories of three family members, Lotte, a single mother sending her two children, Lothar and Ellen on a Kindertransport to England, then her escape into the Berlin Underground. Ellen was looked after by Quaker families in England for the duration of the war but the teenage Lothar, aged 16, was shipped as an ‘Enemy Alien’ on the Dunera to Australia. He was rapidly released from internment and sent back to England. Light is also shed on the Quaker efforts for his release and return to England.
Lotte married Max Markiewicz, and had two children, Lothar born on 9 January 1924 and Ellen, born 18 August 1926, in Berlin. Lotte and Max separated shortly after Ellen’s birth, after which the children had limited contact with their father, usually meeting once per month. Max was murdered in Theresienstadt Ghetto 1943. Lotte survived in hiding in Berlin underground, moving to England after the war, and later settled in the United States with Ellen. Lothar married and settled in England until 1993, when he moved with his wife to Australia, to be closer to his son Michael and grandchildren.
Woodcut prints are an effective medium to produce multiple copies of one work, enabling artists to exchange their works with one another and give gifts on special occasions. Made by Alfred Landauer, ‘Hay Camp’ was reproduced many times and handed out to fellow internees. The work depicts a desert flower growing in an IXL tin on a window sill. IXL is an iconic brand associated with jams and other fruit based products. ‘I excel in everything I do’ was said to be founder Henry Jones’ personal motto. The open window and freedom it implies beyond is grounded by the reality of the barracks and watch tower in the distance. Landauer, a commercial artist and musician from Vienna, also conducted the camp orchestra. He carved this image using timber that the huts were made of. His creativity has turned a bleak environment into a picturesque still-life.
On the back of the cardboard backing, in pencil is signed 'Lothar Markiewicz Hay, 18 Mai 1941'.
The Markiewicz Collection consists of private letters, official documents and personal papers which record the survival stories of three family members, Lotte, a single mother sending her two children, Lothar and Ellen on a Kindertransport to England, then her escape into the Berlin Underground. Ellen was looked after by Quaker families in England for the duration of the war but the teenage Lothar, aged 16, was shipped as an ‘Enemy Alien’ on the Dunera to Australia. He was rapidly released from internment and sent back to England. Light is also shed on the Quaker efforts for his release and return to England.
Lotte married Max Markiewicz, and had two children, Lothar born on 9 January 1924 and Ellen, born 18 August 1926, in Berlin. Lotte and Max separated shortly after Ellen’s birth, after which the children had limited contact with their father, usually meeting once per month. Max was murdered in Theresienstadt Ghetto 1943. Lotte survived in hiding in Berlin underground, moving to England after the war, and later settled in the United States with Ellen. Lothar married and settled in England until 1993, when he moved with his wife to Australia, to be closer to his son Michael and grandchildren.
Production placeHay, New South Wales, Australia
Production date 1940 - 1941
Object nameprints
Dimensions
- width: 165.00 mm
height: 210.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Michael Markiewicz