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| Corporal Andrew Knisley and Second Lieutenant Erin. Photo: Stephen Thorpe. |
The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa has unveiled its latest exhibition, entitled, The Wounded.
The exhibition consists of 18 poster-sized black and white photographs by Halifax-born journalist, Stephen J. Thorpe, all of which are beautifully composed and lit.
Mr. Thorpe covered the war in Afghanistan for Canadian Press between 2002 – 2004.
“There are many meaningful stories of courage and strength that take place after a conflict ends,” said Mark O’Neill, president and CEO of the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History. “We are proud to share some of these powerful and deeply personal accounts of injury and recovery with our visitors.”
These studio photographs have a staged quality to them, but when accompanied by a brief biography and a quote from the subjects, they become much more intimate and invite the viewer to take a closer look.
Some of the combat veterans' injuries are obvious; others are not. This is the problem with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A person can appear completely normal, yet be so haunted by wartime experiences that he or she cannot deal with day to day life once they return back home.
“Most Canadians had no concept of what being injured meant,” said Mr. Thorpe, in one of the panels in the exhibition.
“Lives were changed forever in a split-second by an IED or a bullet, or over time by the ravages of psychological trauma. The stories of the wounded needed to be told.”
The Wounded is on display at the Canadian War Museum from February 15 to June 2, 2019.