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| Photo: Library and Archives Canada, PA-001581 |
The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa is showcasing a travelling exhibition from the Vimy Foundation entitled, The Great War in Colour.
The exhibition consists of dozens of colourized photographs printed on 28 fabric panels.
Despite the fact that soldiers fought the war in colour, photographers documented it in black and white, as colour film was not readily available, nor was the specialized processing involved with photographing in colour.
“Colourized photographs are a powerful way to bring us closer to the past, by making long-ago events seem more immediate and familiar,” said James Whitham, acting director general of the Canadian War Museum. “From the deep-blue uniform of a Voluntary Aid Detachment driver posing next to her ambulance, to the brown mud of the trenches — these poignant images in full colour give us a clearer understanding of what the war looked like to the people who lived it.”
The exhibition is divided up into several themes: preparing for war, life on the front lines, communications, innovation and technology, medical services, life on the home front in Canada and the homecoming of the troops.
Some archivists and purists might see the altering of the original documents as disturbing, while others think adding selective colour to the photographs may make them more relevant to younger people.
“Many Canadians today see the First World War through a series of faded black-and-white photos, disconnected from their modern reality,” said Jeremy Diamond, executive director of the Vimy Foundation. “Colourizing these events brings a new focus to our understanding and appreciation of Canada during the First World War. These photographs offer a fresh look at Canada’s role during the conflict, and we are confident that they will resonate with all Canadians, but especially youth, as they attempt to connect to the stories of war a century later.”
The Great War in Colour is on display at the Canadian War Museum until January 3, 2019.
The exhibition’s cross-Canada tour also includes stops in Toronto, Halifax, Winnipeg, Calgary and Cobourg.
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