That’s saying something: Before the exhibition “The Underground Camera“ (De Ondergedoken Camera) at FOAM in Amsterdam, it has already been added to the Memory of the World Register by UNESCO. On display are pictures taken by a courageous group of photographers during the war.
Amsterdam celebrates twice: its 750th birthday and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. In the so-called Hunger Winter of 1944-45, the popular tourist destination looked very different. A group of photographers who, like the exhibition, called themselves The Underground Camera (De Ondergedoken Camera), captured what no one else would ever have seen. They courageously documented their resistance to the Nazi occupation and thus captured intimate insights into the reality of war.
The exhibition shows works by well-known Dutch photographers such as Cas Oorthuys, Charles Breijer and Emmy Andriesse. The resistance group was led by Fritz Kahlenberg and Tonny van Renterghem. In November 1944, when the German administration banned photography in public, they worked in secret – together with a network of fourteen photographers – to document the occupation and the resistance. Their efforts, which they undertook at great personal risk, contributed to now having a visual record of this period for all future generations.
UNESCO has shown that the exhibition is still of significant importance today. It has included “The Underground Camera” in the Memory of the World Register – making the exhibition the first photographic legacy to receive this prestigious award.
FOAM Amsterdam
The Underground Camera (De Ondergedoken Camera)
May 2 – October 2, 2025
foam.org
You can see what else is currently decorating FOAM here.
Looking for some color after this heavy topic? We have a book recommendation that is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
