AWM photo exhibition - Icon and Archives

Antipodean Andy · Jun 5, 2008

Photo exhibition showcases experiences of war - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) - nice photo at link.

A new exhibition featuring photographs from World War I and World War II showcases the importance of photography in capturing Australian history.

Icon and Archives: photography and the worlds wars opens at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) tomorrow.

The 400 images offer an insight into the experiences of both service personnel and their families who were left behind.

Curator Dr Shaune Lakin says he hopes visitors will leave with an understanding of the role of photography during war time.

"Photography was a very important tool that was used by participants and people left at home to help them make sense of these incredibly profounds events that were taking place," he said.

The photos have been selected from the AWM's collection of almost 1 million and include images never displayed before.

"It's only a very small sample obviously, but we feel that it gives a pretty good sense of the collection of Second and First World War photographs," Dr Lakin said.

"We've got beautifully printed official photographs placed alongside photographs that have tended to come from personal collections, the collections of servicemen and women and their families. Those two different sets of works are basically placed along side each other in this wonderful space."

Photographic history

Dr Lakin says the growing use of digital images increases the significance of original photographic prints.

"Photography has a very particular history and that includes the photographic print and the photographic object as a very beautiful indeed quite precious object," he said.

"It's important for us in this age of producing and sending photographs digitally to actually look back on a very important sort of part of our own history.

"It's nice to actually look at a photograph as a precious object as opposed to one that's just sent electronically."

He says each photographic print has a story behind it.

"It bares traces of an individual's handling of that print," he said.

"It's also very clear that each of these objects that we have in this exhibition were very important objects to very particular people, whether they were mothers and fathers or servicemen and women who were holding these photographs when they were away or producing these photographs when they were away.

"These little artefacts are sort of traces of people's lives, in some cases from 90 years ago."

Living portrait

Mr Lakin says a reverse painted glass portrait of World War I soldier Frederick Clarke is a highlight of the exhibition.

"What happens when you reverse paint glass some weird effect occurs. When light hits the surface of the glass and the paint that sits behind the glass ... the colour of the paint somehow illuminates," he said.

"There's something quite magical for me about this portrait. It's obviously a very precious object. It must have cost the family that had it produced a substantial amount of money ... and I imagine that it commanded a very sort of important place within the family home.

"I think there is something very interesting going on in this quite large portrait that is about a family dealing with the absence of someone that they clearly loved and trying as best they can to keep the memory of that person sort of alive within the family home."

Icon and Archive will be on display at the AWM until October 12.

A selection of the photographs will also be projected onto the AWM building between dusk and 10pm AEST today, tomorrow and Saturday.
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Pathfinder · Jun 5, 2008

Sounds like a great exhibition Andy. Maybe you could go to the AWM and get some snapshots for us?

Antipodean Andy · Jun 5, 2008

I'm in Melbourne, mate, so she's a fair commute. Currently working out photo coverage of the Shrine down here.

Nostalgair · Jun 5, 2008

I'm hoping to get down there shortly.

If I don't get an overnight with work, it's only an hour and a half to drive there. It is truly a remarkable place.

Cheers

Owen

spidge · Jun 6, 2008

Eating breakfast at Pozieres Agust 1st 1916

Picked this photo of a photo at Adelaide River Cemetery in the Northern Territory.

View attachment 1824

The writing is legible with a second click.

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