For the first time in almost 100 years an extraordinary series of hand‐coloured First World War photographs are on public display at the State Library of NSW.
The free exhibition ‘Colour in Darkness: Images from the First World War’ showcases more than 150 unique photographs, including some of the first-known aerial photographs and images by renowned official war photographer Frank Hurley. NSW state librarian and chief executive Alex Byrne said the State Library was thrilled to showcase this extraordinary and little‐known aspect of the library’s collection, as part of it’s five‐year commemorative program.”
Some of the photographs were even taken by enemy soldiers – and depict sweeping desert views of Light Horse troops on the march, scenes of devastation on the Western front, and rare snapshots of occupied Germany.
After the war, artists, including some returned soldiers, made enlargements from the snapshots and hand‐coloured the photographs.
State Library curator Elise Edmonds says the photographs offer a unique personal perspective on the war.
“One of my favourite images in the exhibition shows a soldier, smiling in a group of soldiers and nurses, holding a Kodak ‘Soldiers Own’ camera up at the photographer.”
