Roman Vishniac

Roman Vishniac was a photographer and biologist who is best known for his photographs of Jewish life in Eastern Europe before the Holocaust.

Vishniac was born in Russia and studied biology in Germany before emigrating to the United States in 1940. He had already established himself as a photographer in Germany, and his work was included in major exhibitions and publications. Vishniac's most famous work, however, is his pre-war photographs of Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, which he began documenting in the 1930s. His images show the daily life, culture, and traditions of Jewish communities, as well as the poverty and difficult conditions many faced. His photographs provide a haunting and poignant reminder of the rich culture that was lost during the Holocaust. In addition to his work on Jewish life, Vishniac was also an accomplished biologist and photographer of scientific subjects, including microscopic organisms and cells. He was particularly interested in the intersection of art and science, and his work often blurred the boundaries between the two.