Edouard Herriot at Disarmament Conference 1932

Erich Salomon made this photograph, Edouard Herriot at Disarmament Conference, with gelatin silver. Salomon’s work offers us a peek into the world of international politics between the two World Wars. Here, we see a room full of mostly older, white men in suits, captured in what feels like a candid moment, which was Salomon’s signature. In this moment, we can reflect on the concept of disarmament, which on the surface seems noble. But who gets to decide what “disarmament” looks like, and who benefits from it? The photograph hints at the power dynamics at play during this time. Salomon, a Jewish man, was eventually persecuted and killed during the Holocaust. Knowing this tragic end, this photograph becomes a poignant reminder of the human cost of political decisions. It invites us to consider the relationship between personal identity, political power, and historical events.