Hessy Taft was just 6 months old in 1935, when this photograph was taken.
At the time she lived in Berlin, Germany and was chosen as the perfect Aryan baby for a Nazi family magazine -- except that she is Jewish.
SOUNDBITE: Hessy Taft, saying (English)
"The Propaganda Ministry of Hitler's government, had authorized a contest for a perfect Aryan baby. And they went to the ten best photographers in Germany and asked them to submit their ten best pictures."
The photographer, Hans Ballin, knew exactly what he was doing when he submitted this picture.
SOUNDBITE: Hessy Taft, saying (English)
"He told my mother, 'You see I slipped your baby in with my pictures.' And my mother said to him, 'But you know that this is a Jewish child.' He said, 'Yes I know.' For all my life, I remember the quote my mother has said, 'I want to allow myself the pleasure of this joke.'"
What started as a sly joke became a terrifying nightmare for the family.
Scared for
At the time she lived in Berlin, Germany and was chosen as the perfect Aryan baby for a Nazi family magazine -- except that she is Jewish.
SOUNDBITE: Hessy Taft, saying (English)
"The Propaganda Ministry of Hitler's government, had authorized a contest for a perfect Aryan baby. And they went to the ten best photographers in Germany and asked them to submit their ten best pictures."
The photographer, Hans Ballin, knew exactly what he was doing when he submitted this picture.
SOUNDBITE: Hessy Taft, saying (English)
"He told my mother, 'You see I slipped your baby in with my pictures.' And my mother said to him, 'But you know that this is a Jewish child.' He said, 'Yes I know.' For all my life, I remember the quote my mother has said, 'I want to allow myself the pleasure of this joke.'"
What started as a sly joke became a terrifying nightmare for the family.
Scared for
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