The National Library of New
Zealand posts photos on Flickr as “National Library NZ on The Commons”. The link is https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationallibrarynz_commons Most of the
photos uploaded by the library are historical photos from the library’s
records.
There is one particular
photo on the photostream that struck me because of its atmosphere. It is entitled “New Zealand troops training in Belgium, rehearsing the attack on Messines”. The photograph taken 1917 by Henry
Armytage Sanders.
It shows armed soldiers
moving forward in loose formation. The
soldiers in the middle and backgrounds are obscured by dust, mist or artillery
smoke. The desolation of the scene, the
barren ground, the spacing between the soldiers, and the black and white nature
of the photo all serve to create a melancholy atmosphere. Although the photograph shows NZ soldiers
training for a battle on the Somme, the aura of the photo gives the
uncomfortable impression of men matching resignedly to their deaths.
The reference attached to the photo is: New Zealand
troops training in Belgium, rehearsing the attack on Messines. Royal New
Zealand Returned and Services' Association : New Zealand official negatives,
World War 1914-1918. Ref: 1/2-012750-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington,
New Zealand. natlib.govt.nz/records/22796906. The photo appears below
