An older Jewish man sits on the Adonis fountain on the main square in Lwów, Poland, circa 1938

This photograph shows a market scene at the main square in Lwów, Poland, shortly before the outbreak of World War II. Sitting on the fountain is a man holding a chicken and a basket, likely filled with groceries. His long beard and style of dress, including the overcoat and fedora, identify him as a more traditional, religious Jew. Traditionally, observant Jewish men wore beards and kept their heads covered.

An elderly woman selling produce sits on the pavement near the man. In contrast to the man, the woman has no clear markers of ethnic, religious, or national identity. Older women of varied religions and ethnicities typically wore kerchiefs like this one. Religious Jewish women also sometimes covered their hair with wigs in place of kerchiefs primarily for special occasions.