American war photographer Lee Miller finds herself in Adolf Hitler's Munich bathroom on 30 April 1945. She has undressed, her combat boots are left on the snow white bathmat, and she's taking a bath. Hitler is observing the scene from a picture. It is a symbolic gesture: an American woman in the bath of the conquered enemy. The day the picture was taken was also a historic one.
The day before, American troops had liberated Dachau concentration camp, where Miller had recorded the shocking atrocities. Together with her associate David Scherman she then travelled to Munich where they gained entry to Hitler's apartment and where Miller took her bath (the mud left by her boots on the bathmat comes straight from Dachau) and Scherman photographed her.
Together they helped themselves to all sorts of Hitler paraphernalia: a picture of Eva Braun, her powder compact and a large bottle of perfume.
The photograph brings everything together: fame, contempt and triumph. Later that same day Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide in their Berlin bunker.
Second Photo: Adolf Hitler's Munich apartment