Wartime children through German lens
World renowned German photographer Thomas Billhardt has highlighted the desperate plight of Vietnamese children during the devastating war decades ago, through a collection of photos.
Born in 1937, Billhardt had travelled to many countries in the world, including Vietnam, and his main subject and inspiration are children.
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This photo portrays a Vietnamese girl carrying a younger brother on her back in the 60-70s.
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Each Billhardt’s photo is a reminder of the devastating consequences of war. In this photo, a Vietnamese boy was hiding in a trench shelter.
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These children were frightened of war. They were familiar with jumping into roadside shelters before a bomb raid.
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This girl did not dare to go far from the shelter for fears of sudden bombardments.
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This militiawoman spent short peace time with her baby
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These children were crying for their mothers.
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This photo was taken at the National Songs and Dance Theatre. The girl was frightened to see a foreigner for the first time. The photo was used by many magazines around the world.
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This photo was taken in 1969 in northern Vietnam.
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Since 1987, Billhardt has actively engaged in United Nations activities to protect children. In the photo, a Vietnamese boy was solving a maths problem on a buffalo’s back.
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P11 A buffalo boy was playing the flute. The photo was taken in 1969.
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Billhardt had travelled to Vietnam 12 times between 1962 and 1985 alone. This photo was recorded in northern Vietnam in 1979.
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| A buffalo boy was running away from rain |
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During wartime, children aged 6 or 7 had to help their family earn a living.
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P15 Many of his works have been published on world’s leading magazines. This photo was taken in 1972.
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He organised an exhibition in Hanoi in 1999 and another one in 2003.
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He helped introduce Vietnam’s images to the world.
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