Witness History Lee Miller in Hitler's bath
Jun 12, 2023
Antony Penrose, son and biographer of Lee Miller, reads her dispatches and provides personal context. He recounts Miller’s journey from Vogue model to wartime photographer. He describes being in Munich on VE Day, the Dachau scenes and the famed photograph taken in Hitler’s bath. Penrose reflects on the image’s discovery and its lasting symbolic power.
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Lee Miller In Hitler's Apartment At The News
- Lee Miller celebrated the announced death of Hitler while staying in his private Munich apartment at midnight on May Day.
- She describes the moment as snowing, listening to the German radio announce Hitler was dead and feeling he had been an "evil machine monster" now made more terrible by visiting his haunts.
How Lee Miller Became Man Ray's Apprentice
- Lee Miller transitioned from Vogue model to apprentice of Man Ray after a modeling career ended by a Kotex advertisement controversy.
- She approached Man Ray in Paris, charmed him into taking her on, and worked with him for four years before turning to photography full time.
Choosing Munich Over Berlin Revealed Key Sites
- Lee Miller and David Scherman deliberately went to Munich instead of racing to Berlin to cover the war's end.
- They reasoned Munich, the Nazi party's birthplace, would reveal pivotal locations like Hitler's eight-room apartment at 16 Prinz Regentenplatz.