Gypsy life before and after World War II showcased in new exhibit
Jan Yoors was just 12 years old when he left his home in Belgium to travel with a group of Roma who…
Georgia (Mar 10, 2008) — Gypsy life before and after World War II showcased in new exhibit
Jennifer Hafer
Abstract
Director of University Relations
Frances Weyand Harrison
770−423−6203
fharris4@kennesaw.edu
Writer: Jennifer Hafer‚ 770−423−6711 or jhafer@kennesaw.edu
Gypsy life before and after World War II showcased in new exhibit
“The Heroic Present: The Gypsy Photographs of Jan Yoors” opens March 18
KENNESAW‚ Ga. (March 10‚ 2008) – Jan Yoors was just 12 years old when he left his
home in Belgium to travel with a group of Roma who were traveling through his town.
The only child of a prominent artist and human rights activist‚ Yoors traveled widely
with the Roma — commonly referred to as gypsies — for six years‚ capturing the daily
life of a European Romani community with a Kodak Brownie camera. Yoors’ parents‚ Magda
and Eugene‚ regarded their son’s adventure as a learning experience.
“The Heroic Present: The Gypsy Photographs of Jan Yoors” features 65 extraordinary
photographs‚ many of which have never before been seen. The reprinted photos‚ which
span five decades‚ are part of a rare collection of images aimed at giving viewers
a sense of the Roma community.
“We came across the Jan Yoors story while researching another exhibition at the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington‚ D.C.‚” said Catherine Lewis‚ associate professor
of history and director of KSU’s Holocaust Education Program. “We subsequently got
in touch with the family‚ and it happened they were looking for someone to curate
an exhibit of Jan’s photos.”
The exhibit opens March 18‚ in the Social Sciences Building‚ with a 6:30 p.m. lecture by Ian Hancock‚ a leading scholar on Roma life‚ language and history‚ from
the University of Texas. The exhibit will be on display at KSU for about a month‚
before the eight free−standing panels and 65 prints are packed up for a 10−city tour
of libraries‚ museums and community centers in the U.S. and abroad.
“These photos offer an unparalleled look at a people who have lived among us for hundreds
of years and still remain the least understood culture of our time‚” Kore Yoors‚ Jan’s
son‚ said.
Kore Yoors will attend the exhibit’s opening.
It was in Kore’s New York City apartment where the details of the exhibit were finalized
and the 65 photos were chosen from among the 50‚000 in his late father’s collection.
Jan Yoors died on Nov. 27‚ 1977‚ at the age of 55.
“It’s exactly how you come across historical stories — in people’s living rooms and
basements‚” Lewis said. “Most of history’s greatest stories aren’t yet archived in
museums.”
For more information‚ or to schedule an interview with Catherine Lewis or Kore Yoors‚
contact Jennifer Hafer at 770−423−6711.
A member of the 35−unit University System of Georgia‚ Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive‚ residential institution with a growing student population of more than 20‚000 from 132 countries. The third−largest university in Georgia‚ Kennesaw State offers more than 60 graduate and undergraduate degrees‚ including a new doctorate in education.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
