Issue 40 winter 23 web - Flipbook - Page 6
The Road to Ypres
A fascinating display telling the story of Olive Edis, one of the most highly regarded photographers
of the twentieth century, comes to the Army Flying Museum in Middle Wallop, Hampshire this
December.
The display - The Road to Ypres: The War Photography
of Olive Edis - features ten double-sided panels telling
the story of Edis’ life and documents her tour of Europe
in March 1919 as Britain’s first female official war
photographer, one of only five British photographers
commissioned to cover the First World War.
Museum, was curated to raise awareness of Edis’ work and
give her inspirational story the recognition it deserves.
This special touring exhibition features reproductions
from the Cromer Museum collection as well as rarely-seen
images from The Imperial War Museum and National
Portrait Gallery. Images are accompanied by extracts from
Edis’ war diary allowing the story to be told in her own
words.
In March 1919, Edis was granted permission to
photograph on the Western Front and in France, she
captured the destruction of war in poignant images of
ravaged landscapes and deserted towns. Travelling
through mile after mile of endless chaos Edis passed by
abandoned helmets which littered the roadside and, in
the fields, saw great derelict aeroplanes rotting in the mud
like skeletons. Throughout the journey she kept a
fascinating diary of her adventures where she recorded
the stories behind the photographs and her reactions to
the destruction she saw all around her.
Museum Curator, Susan Lindsay said “We are delighted
to be hosting this temporary display created by Norfolk
Museums Service. It tells the fascinating story of a true
pioneer and includes many of the amazing images that
Olive Edis took during the course of her varied career. As
a military museum, we are proud to showcase the work
of Britain’s first female official war photographer.”
The Museum offers a free annual pass with entry fee, so
not only do visitors have the opportunity to view the
exhibition, but they can also view the amazing exhibits
on display within the Museum telling the history of British
Army Aviation. The exhibition will run at the Museum
from Sunday 10 December until Sunday 3 March 2024.
In the sixty years since her death, Edis has been largely
forgotten by history, and her huge contribution to British
photography sadly overlooked. Thanks to a grant from
the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Olive Edis
project from Norfolk Museums Service and Cromer
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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