French photographer donates photos of A-bomb victims’ clothing to museum; hopes to contribute to peace
Aug. 24, 2015
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
On August 10 a French photographer donated 30 of his photographs of clothing in the collection of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to the facility in the city’s Naka Ward. Michel Aguilera, 54, a resident of the suburbs of Paris, said he hoped the photos would be useful in conveying the horrors of the atomic bombing.
Printed on A2-size paper, the color photos include shots of a scorched blouse and a tattered school uniform. Mr. Aguilera took the photos in September 2007, spending about a month on the project. A collection of the photos was published in France in 2009 under the title “Vêtements d’Hiroshima.” Mr. Aguilera said he also showed the photos at 13 locations around France and they are in the collection of a local art museum. During his recent visit he gave Kenji Shiga, director of the Peace Memorial Museum, four copies of the photo collection.
Mr. Aguilera first came to Hiroshima on May 8, 2005. He visited the Peace Memorial Museum and said he was shocked by the clothing he saw there, which conveyed the suffering of the victims. This summer he held an exhibition of his photos in Hiroshima for the first time, which led to his donation to the museum.
France has both nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants. Mr. Aguilera said he believes people must not regard nuclear issues as someone else’s problem and that he would like to contribute to peace through his works.
(Originally published on August 11, 2015)
On August 10 a French photographer donated 30 of his photographs of clothing in the collection of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to the facility in the city’s Naka Ward. Michel Aguilera, 54, a resident of the suburbs of Paris, said he hoped the photos would be useful in conveying the horrors of the atomic bombing.
Printed on A2-size paper, the color photos include shots of a scorched blouse and a tattered school uniform. Mr. Aguilera took the photos in September 2007, spending about a month on the project. A collection of the photos was published in France in 2009 under the title “Vêtements d’Hiroshima.” Mr. Aguilera said he also showed the photos at 13 locations around France and they are in the collection of a local art museum. During his recent visit he gave Kenji Shiga, director of the Peace Memorial Museum, four copies of the photo collection.
Mr. Aguilera first came to Hiroshima on May 8, 2005. He visited the Peace Memorial Museum and said he was shocked by the clothing he saw there, which conveyed the suffering of the victims. This summer he held an exhibition of his photos in Hiroshima for the first time, which led to his donation to the museum.
France has both nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants. Mr. Aguilera said he believes people must not regard nuclear issues as someone else’s problem and that he would like to contribute to peace through his works.
(Originally published on August 11, 2015)
