The National Library’s holdings of World War I photographic
material, though small, are particularly rich. They enable the construction
of narratives that give very different perspectives on the war—both
at home, and overseas on the battlefields in Turkey and France.
The story of war is personalised through the plethora of items of
a personal nature, such as a soldier’s portrait or his album
of snapshots embellished with his own handwritten inscriptions.
Frank Hurley’s exalted images of battle scenes in Flanders
contrast with far less heroic photographs by amateur and unknown
Photographers. Hurley combined different negatives to produce his
composite prints with their masterful compositions and dramatic
cloud-filled skies. Alternatively, J.P. Campbell’s snapshots
are very modest in comparison, giving a soldier’s view of
the rituals and dangers of daily life in the trenches at Gallipoli.