Lee Miller, War Photographer

I would rather take a photograph than be one.

 I’d been carrying Hitler’s Munich address around in my pocket for years and finally I had a chance to use it. But my host wasn’t home. I took some pictures of the place and also I got a good night’s sleep in his bed. I even washed the dirt of Dachau off in his tub.

No question that German civilians knew what went on. Railway into Dachau camp runs past villa, with trains of dead or semi-dead deportees. I usually don’t take pictures of horrors. But don’t think that every town and every area isn’t rich with them. I hope Vogue will feel it can publish these pictures.

We heard bombers approaching over our shoulders… I had the clothes I was standing in, a couple-dozen rolls of film, and an eiderdown blanket roll. I was the only photographer for miles around and I now owned a private war. 

 There were lots of things, touching, poignant or queer I wanted to photograph…     

I would rather take a photograph than be one.