Join us for the opening of a special exhibition opening, Visages of Memory and a conversation with photographer and Holocaust survivor Laszlo Selly at the Miami Beach Regional Library on Thursday, April 17th from 6:00-9:00 pm. The exhibition is part of the City of Miami Beach’s Culture Crawl evening. Laszlo will be in conversation at 7:00 pm.
Visages of Memory, by Holocaust Survivor Laszlo Selly, captures the life experience and resilience of the Holocaust Survivors he photographs. Their stories are told through these powerful images. .
Photographer Laszlo Selly, a Holocaust survivor himself, captured the visages of fellow survivors as seen through his unique lens.
The photographs include survivors from Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union. Each photograph represents a terrifying story of survival and escape from the Nazis and their eventual migration to the United States.
This exhibition is made possible with the support of the University of Miami, Miami Beach JCC, and the Holocaust Memorial.
About the Photographer:
Laszlo Selly and his twin brother were born in Budapest, Hungary, on December 31, 1937, into a middle-class, secular Jewish family. When Laszlo was six years old, he remembered his mother sewing a yellow star onto his outer garments. Desperate to keep their twins safe, Laszlo’s parents made the difficult decision to send them into hiding. This plan led to danger, and they returned to their parents. Laszlo’s father obtained a Raoul Wallenberg certificate of protection that allowed the family to move to a safe house.
After liberation by the Soviets, Laszlo and his twin brother completed their education in Hungary under intense Communist indoctrination. The brothers escaped from Hungary during the 1956 Revolution and made their way to New York where Laszlo became a successful photographer. Today, he lives with his wife Gail in South Florida and regularly shares his story with students at the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach.
The exhibition is part of the Miami Dade Public Library System’s eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, a pivotal historical moment that continues to resonate profoundly in our global landscape. The Miami-Dade Public Library System proudly presents World War II at 80 - a year-long series honoring historical milestones. Enlightening panel discussions and presentations, thought-provoking exhibits and book clubs, along with other insightful events are planned throughout the year. Discover Miami's role in this informative chapter of history and its ongoing relevance today.
Visit https://mdpls.org/WWII to learn more and see the schedule of events.