They are 39 images revealing the true horror of war.
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But for the man behind the lens they also capture the mateship, stoicism and dogged persistence of the Anzac spirit.
In 1914, at age 61, Sir Charles Ryan was appointed consulting surgeon to the AIF.
A camera on Gallipoli showcases a series of candid photographs captured in Turkey in 1915.
Now a prized component of the Australian War Memorial the travelling digital collection has made its way to Maitland to be revealed next week.
“This is such a coup for the city and, to my knowledge, it is one of the first times the war memorial has staged an exhibition with another group,” Maitland Regional Museum member Janece McDonald said.
Australian War Memorial director Dr Brendan Nelson said the photographs capture the reality behind the 1915 Gallipoli campaign, depicting a unique and often harsh view of our soldiers’ experiences.
“Ryan’s photographs reflect the Australians’ true experience of war, depicting the dry, forbidding landscape, tired troops in the trenches, and squalid dug-outs,” Dr Nelson said.
“Ryan also managed to capture the true spirit of the Australian soldiers who fought at Gallipoli. Their mateship, stoicism and endurance underpin the photographs and embody the meaning of the Anzac spirit.”
Behind the photographs in the exhibition is the story of Charles Ryan’s remarkable life.
He served as a doctor with the Turkish army in 1877-78, treated Ned Kelly at Glenrowan, was a leading Melbourne surgeon and gave long service as a senior military officer.
He was extended high civil and military recognition by his peers.
The exhibition commemorates the centenary of WWI.
A camera on Gallipoli opens on Friday, April 17, at Brough House, Maitland. For more information contact Janece McDonald at janece.mcdonald@newcastle.edu.au.