THIS was one of the David Olère pictures that was shown to the Court during the Lipstadt Trial. It was used to prove the existence - in the absence of any photos or blueprints - of the "wire mesh column" (center-rear) used to introduce Zyklon capsules into the "gas chamber"; seemingly impervious to the cyanide clinging to the bodies, the prisoners are removing gold teeth.

In fact the "mesh" is crude cross-hatching by the artist. The picture betrays once again his penchant for semi-pornographic nude pictures.

In his Judgment, Mr Justice Gray professed himself profoundly impressed by the evidentiary quality of the Olère sketches, in the absence of any other hard documentary evidence of the atrocities committed at Auschwitz.

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