Oct 6
Who was known to have taken illegal photographs capturing front line experiences during the Great War?
Brenton Harold "Jack" Turner of Prince Edward Island, Canada, was one of the few who secretly photographed daily life and combat on the Western Front during the First World War, in direct defiance of military bans. Turner's surreptitious collection of 99 images, captured with a smuggled German-made camera, offers a rare and personal glimpse into a soldier’s experience away from the official lens. Ingeniously modifying his uniform to conceal his camera, Turner developed his photos in battlefield cellars, preserving moments that would have otherwise been lost to history. Today, his unique legacy lives on through exhibitions, like the 2015 "Snapshots of Armageddon" in Charlottetown, and his century-long life serves as a testament to the enduring power of personal perspective in the record of war.
