This category is comprised of photographs taken between September 1939 and the outbreak of the Rising. Since Poles were not allowed to have photo cameras at the time, photos taken during the occupation by Władysław Martyka have a unique value. In addition to his friends and family, he also depicted the city – the parks, the bridges and the beach at the Vistula River. Photographs by Stefan Bałuk, who covertly documented German fortifications, have a different character. Apart from that, Bałuk recorded also everyday live during the occupation: street traffic, overcrowded trams, and small trade. A special place is held by photos by Mieczysław Bil-Bilażewski, who photographed the Warsaw Ghetto, probably under an approval from the authorities, and became a chronicler of its tragedy. On the other hand, German soldiers enjoyed total freedom in using their cameras, and eagerly posed against ruins of buildings destroyed in September 1939.