Wednesday, June 3, 2026

My spectacles ·· Prussian Blue part III

I'm really excited to show everyone some photos since I found my spectacles. I thought I left them with someone in Warsaw but I found them!

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Where the light shines diamonds ·· Prussian Blue part II

before talking about the science, i'd like to present another meaning of Prussian Blue. this is what it means to me. it represents God looking down and trying to figure out how to fix the situation where the people he created are inadvertently hurting and killing each other. it represents that moment where life moves beyond the earth.

But most of all, it represents something to me that I witnessed.

It reminds me of Lublin. And it reminds me of her hand. The one that held mine, the right one because the left one was missing. The photo I am referring to is the one from the Imperial War Museum in london, uk.

It reminds me most of the damage that was done to those we loved. Many people who endured exposure to the things that occurred before Prussian Blue formed endured unspeakable things. Many of them actually lived. So when you think about Prussian Blue, you might think about genocide or methods of killing used by the Nazis. But the truth is, many people lived.

So how does Prussian Blue form? At a very basic level, something called HCN (Hydrogen Cyanide) comes in contact with a material like clay, stone, concrete, wool, cotton, fiber, etc. Zyklon B released HCN gas. Depending on the weather, a blue layer begins to form. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower. It depends on the environment.

Prussian Blue (and there are thousands of different shades of blue we are talking about) forms when HCN is present. The folks that lived were only exposed to a certain amount in the air. If you were to count polygons, triangles, or squares floating through the air between two points in time, you could count them and determine how many would actually be harmful to a person or animal. This is called parts per million.

Now on to the original definition of Prussian Blue. Prussian Blue is a dark blue powder that people use to make paint, dye clothes, and even help sick people. As I mentioned above, it forms from a chemical reaction when HCN comes in contact with a certain type of surface, and there are many.

HCN was used extensively in insect repellent back in the old days. It is outdated for bugs and pests around the home. There are safer alternatives that were invented many years ago. So back in the early 1900's, it was discovered that it could be used for killing ant piles, etc. They then figured out how to use it in outdoor settings to get rid of insects such as within wildlife environments and in the countryside.

This stuff has been around several hundred years. It's not rocket science. The chemical patterns are well understood both from a geometric and a spectral perspective.

Zyklon-B is merely HCN and some organic material in a fire extinguisher canister. [as shown in historical photographs I have seen] They then sprayed it over clothes to clean them of insects.

So you might be asking, where was it used?

During the 1940's, the camps across Nazi occupied Poland and Europe did not have air-conditioned barracks and clean conditions. They were really messy. Places like Bergen-Belsen were extremely dirty with people sleeping on the ground. This is where Zyklon-B fits in. It was used to clean people's clothes initially.

It was commonly used to kill lice at Westerbork.

What She Carried

this one - in terms of her left hand, she is holding a piece of cloth to cover her hand. the photo was labeled Bergen-Belsen near Hanover. Upon my recent visit, everything was gone. there is only a field. gleichschaltung was forced alignment and synchronization with the german authorities. every day, alignment in the camp yard at kl mauthausen involved all prisoners standing in synch, and raising their left arm to give the hitler salute.

a window in time · prussian blue part i

remembering what happened in the holocaust is really important. for those of us who live in the united states, it's frankly, easy for most to forget about anything that happened during and after world war II. When we drive to the store, we don't see the barbed wire, or the barracks, or the homes where high-ranking Nazi officials resided such as Rudolph Hess' home in Oświęcim. If there are things that make you think about what happened, I think you are part of the team helping to make the world a better place. There are things that we all learned about in the history books. And then there are the unspoken things. One of the more confusing topics related to unspoken things is what is called Prussian Blue. It is a blue staining on specific types of surfaces. And there are many, many different colors of this blue. And sometimes, it just doesn't form. It's not dangerous to be around and it does look like algae. So you shouldn't be afraid of it. There are lots of people out there who have strong arguments for the Prussian blue being paint or water stains, or some other type of chemical reaction. The Prussian Blue stains I'm referring to are the original ones in and across Europe at some of the former sites. I'm slightly leaning into unspoken things here as a very slow and gentle introdution to this unspoken topic. For now, Prussian Blue is our silent witness. After I've presented all of the detail, and it may take a while, I'm really hopeful that you can take this information and pass it forward. I'll try to use some points of references such as certain things which I can go in to some level of detail about, but which I think will be helpful. These are some of the things that I've known my whole life.

The Art of the Invisible: Super-resolution, NIR and UV Imaging Basics

Ultraviolet (UV) and Near-Infrared (NIR) imaging allow us to see far beyond the limits of human vision, revealing hidden details in art, artifacts, and forensic evidence. UV techniques, including both fluorescence (UVF) and reflected (UVR), expose surface-level phenomena such as varnish layers, retouching, and certain pigments. NIR imaging, particularly infrared reflectography, penetrates through paint layers to uncover underdrawings, pentimenti, and hidden signatures. The reconstruction process combines these spectral images with advanced processing like 3D photogrammetry and principal component analysis (PCA) to create detailed digital twins, enabling conservators and researchers to study an object’s history, condition, and composition in unprecedented depth. Ultimately, computational image processing holds tremendous potential to reveal hidden histories and preserve our cultural heritage for generations to come. I ran super resolution on an image with a familiar face yesterday using a transformer based model instead of a GAN. GANs can introduce hallucinations, meaning they invent plausible looking details that are not truly there. Transformers avoid this problem by reconstructing high frequency details through long range pixel relationships without fabricating false features. The result was a clean, faithful upscale with no hallucination, just sharper resolution from the original data.

Monday, June 1, 2026

Auschwitz III-Monowitz Podobóz

I won't tell you where. You wouldn't find it in your textbooks anyway.

And if I told you, you still wouldn't believe me.

I remember as a small child looking at the sky. When we were leaving. I remember the cold air and I remember the constant smell. I remember that road and your devotion and focus as we made our way out of there. I remember you holding my hand as we crossed the muddy courtyard on our way outside. It's still there. I remember my curiosity about a world I knew nothing about. It looks the same. Everything we know today, pushed back in time by about 40 years. I remember all the buildings and streets we passed when we left the city years ago. They look the same. I took a bus ride through the city and passed every one of them.

Your hand in mine, we walked thousands of miles.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Scope and Intent — A Note Before the Prussian Blue Series

Before I begin my series on the chemistry of Prussian blue staining at former Nazi German concentration and extermination camps, I want to state clearly what this blog series is about and, just as importantly, what it is not about.

What this series is:

  • A scientific and forensic examination of how Prussian blue forms from hydrogen cyanide (the active agent in Zyklon-B) reacting with iron-containing building materials.
  • A correction of specific chemical misconceptions I have encountered online. For example, misunderstandings about iron sources, wall porosity, or the stability of the pigment.
  • A presentation of specific, verifiable examples of Prussian blue staining, drawn from documented forensic and historical research at multiple sites, including Mauthausen, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek, Stutthof, Sachsenhausen, and Hartheim.
  • An effort to separate fact from fiction only on the level of chemical mechanism, not on the level of historical events.
  • Iron gall ink analysis. How prussian blue forms, the different colors of it on different surfaces, what types of surfaces it forms on, and how long it takes. I may include some detail on both the spectral and non-spectral based algorithms used. This will not be based on my "visual" observation", only on proven, scientific evidence.
  • And most importantly, my extensive analysis of high resolution images using computational imaging techniques.

What this series is NOT:

  • A challenge to the established historical record of the Holocaust, including the use of Zyklon-B in homicidal gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek, and other camps.
  • An attempt to estimate or dispute victim counts based on staining patterns.
  • A claim that forensic chemistry contradicts survivor testimony, wartime documentation, or postwar legal findings. It does not.
  • Holocaust denial, minimization, or revisionism in any form. I reject those positions entirely.

My background and intent:

I am a science writer with a strong interest in forensic chemistry. I am not a Holocaust denier, and I have no political or ideological agenda beyond accurate science communication. The chemistry of Prussian blue is interesting because it confirms the historical record, not because it undermines it.

Why this matters:

There is a substantial amount of denial on the subject (across the medical community, law enforcement, public, and private sectors in the USA) and an equal amount of confusion on what color blue forms and how it forms. Misinformation about the chemistry of Prussian blue exists in two forms: innocent confusion and deliberate distortion. My goal is to address the first without amplifying the second. I will not be engaging with denialist arguments directly, nor will I platform them. Instead, I will simply present the chemistry as it is understood by forensic scientists and historians who accept the reality of the Holocaust.

There is a lot of evidence. The goal of this series is to present some of that evidence clearly, focusing on the chemistry and imaging work I have done.

A request to readers:

If you are a Holocaust survivor, a descendant of survivors, or someone directly affected by this history, I recognize that even a technical discussion of these chemicals can be painful. That is not my intent, but I acknowledge the weight of the subject. Please read with care, or skip this series if it would cause distress.

A note for anyone concerned about my intentions:

I welcome corrections from chemists and historians if I make an actual factual error. I do not welcome attempts to draw me into debates about whether the Holocaust happened. Those are not debates I will have, because the historical conclusion is not in doubt.

Thank you for reading. Now, on to the chemistry.


Posted as part of a series on forensic chemistry and historical staining phenomena at Nazi German camps.

Almost Identical · Amsterdam

My Bicycle
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton
Provenance · Integrity Record
Hashes are of the byte-identical JPEGs converted from raw sensor data. Verify with sha512sum -c SHA512SUMS.
Fingerprint: CA42 47E8 9A5E FEAB 36DC 6A42 C547 9171 B69A 3CFB 887D B92C 3FB1 480A 2993 57A3
OpenTimestamps proof submitted on 2026-05-31 CDT; final block attestation may still be pending.

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Dachau · A Frame

The side of a barrack at KL Dachau.
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton

Dachau was a model camp. The building architecture and adminstrative processes at the camps across Europe were modeled after Dachau. I took this photo of the barrack at Dachau outside of Munich, Germany.

Provenance · Integrity Record
Hashes are of the byte-identical JPEGs converted from raw sensor data. Verify with sha512sum -c SHA512SUMS.
Fingerprint: CA42 47E8 9A5E FEAB 36DC 6A42 C547 9171 B69A 3CFB 887D B92C 3FB1 480A 2993 57A3
The .ots file proves that SHA512SUMS existed at or before the Bitcoin block timestamp below.
Anchor: Bitcoin block 951182
Timestamp: 2026-05-26 18:23 UTC
SHA512SUMS.ots

Friday, May 29, 2026

Places of Memory · Kraków, Poland

Kraków, Poland
Kraków, Poland
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton
Provenance · Integrity Record
Hashes are of the byte-identical JPEGs converted from raw sensor data. Verify with sha512sum -c SHA512SUMS.
Fingerprint: CA42 47E8 9A5E FEAB 36DC 6A42 C547 9171 B69A 3CFB 887D B92C 3FB1 480A 2993 57A3
The .ots file proves that SHA512SUMS existed at or before the Bitcoin block timestamp below.
Anchor: Bitcoin block 951191
Timestamp: 2026-05-27 00:49 UTC
SHA512SUMS.ots

Places of Memory · KL Auschwitz I

Oświęcim, Poland

Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau are in Oświęcim, Poland which is about an hour from Kraków.

I took these photos at Auschwitz I.

These brick buildings comprise the majority of Auschwitz I. There are 28 of them. They are referred to as blocks. Many of them have underground areas.
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton
This is a photo of the stairwell that leads to the underground area in Block 11. Block 11 was a punishment block and the basement contains different types of punishment cells. I will not be going into any detail regarding the punishment methods and activities that occurred in these areas as it is sensitive material.
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton

The discussion of the things that occurred within this block at Auschwitz I is sensitive to many people. But just as important, there is an equal or greater amount of dismissal, denial, and distortion of what really happened. Remembrance is important, and an acute awareness of what is going on now – in and across our world – will prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.

If you can't make it to Poland, I recommend visiting the Washington DC United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. As of a few weeks ago, a new exhibit was announced in a partnership between the United States and Auschwitz for an exhibit. Here is the press release page.

The Wall of Death between Block 10 and Block 11 at Auschwitz I
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton
Suitcase with the name "Anna Kraus" behind glass at Auschwitz I
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton
Suitcase with the name "Sara" behind glass at Auschwitz I
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton

Systematic renaming of Jewish individuals and families occurred before, during, and after the war. This persecution continued. These people were told they would begin a new life with work. Here is the luggage they brought with them on the train.

Index card issued to Anne Frank by the Jewish Council in Amsterdam – Arolsen Archives.

Jewish victims were often forced to do administrative work. Those who were were spared, were renamed as nazis.

provenance · integrity record
Hashes are of the byte-identical JPEGs converted from raw sensor data. Verify with sha512sum
fingerprint: 2969A EB80A 42E02 15E66 4D93B D9BC8 5E021 38166 415C9 17120
OpenTimestamps proof submitted on 2026-05-26 CDT; final block attestation may still be pending.

Monday, May 25, 2026

Konzentrationslager Lublin

State Museum at Majdanek · Lublin, Poland
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton
State Museum at Majdanek· Lublin Poland
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton
Provenance · Integrity Record
Hashes are of the byte-identical JPEGs converted from raw sensor data. Verify with sha512sum -c SHA512SUMS.
Fingerprint: CA42 47E8 9A5E FEAB 36DC 6A42 C547 9171 B69A 3CFB 887D B92C 3FB1 480A 2993 57A3
The .ots file proves that SHA512SUMS existed at or before the Bitcoin block timestamp below.
Anchor: Bitcoin block 951213
Timestamp: 2026-05-27 04:37 UTC
SHA512SUMS.ots

KL Birkenau · The Outer Perimeter

Auschwitz II-Birkenau
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton

I walked around Auschwitz II-Birkenau by myself and took this photo. I also walked around the camp by myself. It was a very important day.

Provenance · Integrity Record
Hashes are of the byte-identical JPEGs converted from raw sensor data. Verify with sha512sum -c SHA512SUMS.
Fingerprint: CA42 47E8 9A5E FEAB 36DC 6A42 C547 9171 B69A 3CFB 887D B92C 3FB1 480A 2993 57A3
The .ots file proves that SHA512SUMS existed at or before the Bitcoin block timestamp below.
Anchor: Bitcoin block 951193
Timestamp: 2026-05-26 20:14 UTC
SHA512SUMS.ots

Friday, May 15, 2026

A Note for the Record: Convergence at the Site

Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt Am Main
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton
Provenance · Integrity Record
Hashes are of the byte-identical JPEGs converted from raw sensor data. Verify with sha512sum -c SHA512SUMS.
Fingerprint: CA42 47E8 9A5E FEAB 36DC 6A42 C547 9171 B69A 3CFB 887D B92C 3FB1 480A 2993 57A3
The .ots file proves that SHA512SUMS existed at or before the Bitcoin block timestamp below.
Anchor: Bitcoin block 951258
Timestamp: 2026-05-27 07:49 UTC
SHA512SUMS.ots

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Margot B. Frank

The card that opens Margot Frank's case file at the Commissie tot het doen van Aangifte van Overlijden van Vermisten. Each case file began with one of these standardised index cards. The Staatscourant entry of 29 July 1954 is stamped Afgewezen.
© 2026 Bryan R. Hinton