Exhibitions

Inaugural Special Exhibition

Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory.

War and persecution are knocking at the door. If you leave now, you might stand a chance. But space is limited, and you must carefully choose which items to pack. What will you take with you? What will you leave behind?

Visit this groundbreaking exhibition to explore what survivors of the Holocaust, other genocides, and civil war have brought with them on their journeys to America. The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum's inaugural special exhibition--Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory. showcases over 60 personal items brought to the U.S. by Survivors of the Holocaust and refugees from Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Iraq, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Syria.

This landmark exhibition, originally created by the Illinois Holocaust Museum, features stunning prints by award-winning photographer Jim Lommasson who captured these priceless treasures donated by genocide and civil war survivors. The story and meaning of each item is printed on the photograph itself in the survivor's own handwriting, pulling viewers into the gripping stories of real people impacted by war, trauma, and displacement.

Lomasson's photographs and the original artifacts in combination with the words of the Survivor or their family member tell the stories of individuals holding onto memories and values in the midst of unimaginable circumstance and their attempt to rebuild their lives in a new land. Stories of Survival invites viewers to understand these harrowing journeys, respond to the shared experiences of courage and hope in the face of danger, and rethink the value they place on their material possessions.

Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory. is a project of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and photographer Jim Lommasson.