“A Testimony of Time” – photographs by Józef Oleszek | Zaułek Hartwigów

About

Warsztaty Kultury w Lublinie invites you on a unique journey through time – an exhibition of photographs by Józef Oleszek, affectionately known in his local community as “Józiunio.” The exhibition transports visitors to the reality of the Polish countryside between 1948 and 1960, portraying the social life of the residents of Radecznica through the lens of a man whose passion and curiosity about the world knew no bounds.

Józef Oleszek (1920–2007), born in Latyczyn, was an extraordinary figure. Although he completed only four years of primary education, his intellectual openness, deep knowledge of history, and remarkable versatility made him a local animator of community life. A self-taught photographer, clockmaker, well digger, and beekeeper, Oleszek possessed the rare ability to always find himself “at the heart of events.”

The photographs presented in the exhibition are more than mere archival records. They form an intimate portrait of everyday life in the post-war countryside, documenting not only the hard work of rural households, but above all human relationships, shared celebrations, and the building of local community during a difficult period of transformation. Thanks to his natural ability to connect with people, “Józiunio” managed to capture authentic moments — free from posing or distance, and always with respect for those he portrayed.

Thanks to the camera he carried with him, Józef Oleszek created a unique chronicle of his neighbours’ lives, preserving for future generations the image of a world that has irreversibly passed away.

In the space of Galeria Warsztatów Kultury in the Zaułek Hartwigów, itself a witness to the history of Lublin, the photographs of Józef Oleszek take on a new context. The dialogue between the history of photography and the memory of specific individuals becomes an opportunity to reflect on transience and the value of small, local narratives.

The exhibition was prepared courtesy of the Fundacja Muzeum Historii Fotografii w Janowie Lubelskim and Antoni Florczak – the museum’s director and founder.

Details

When: June 1-30, 2026, open all day
Where: Zaułek Hartwigów
Admission free