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HISTÓRIA

História

Arnaldo Garcez First World War Photographer

Autor

Carlos Silveira

Person 1 First name

Arnaldo

Person 1 Surname

GARCEZ

Ocupation Person 1

Fotógrafo de guerra

Story / Relato

The war experience at the Portuguese front in France was registered by a single photographer, Arnaldo Garcez (1885-1964). He was the Photographic Office of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps, between 1916 and 1919. More than 2000 records exist today at the country’s Army archives.

His work contributed to the birth of Portuguese photojournalism in the early 1900’s. When he was invited by the War Ministry, Garcez was already a well- known reporter, working for various newspapers in Lisbon. His war images were released in newspapers at home and mainly on the quality magazine of the time, Ilustração Portugueza. A set of 75 postcards based on his photos was also published in Paris by the Portuguese government.

These images have a unique documental richness, registering soldiers’ training in Tancos (Portugal), Marthes (France) and Horsham (Britain), as well as visiting dignitaries at Portuguese headquarters in Saint-Venant. They capture the desolation and ruins on the battlefield but also leisure activities, like troop fraternizing with British officials and the local population. A close reportage was made of every aspect of the daily life at the trenches.

He also made interesting “faked” shots of the fighting at the battle of la Lys, following April 9th 1918. After the Armistice, he organized and participated in war photos exhibitions in France, and also recorded the Victory parades in Paris, London and Brussels. Finally, back in his own country, he covered in 1921 the homage and burial of the Unknown Soldier (in Africa and Europe) at Batalha gothic monastery.

It is a precious collection of photographs that broadly document the Portuguese sector at Flanders and offer a unique viewpoint of it, telling a specific story of the British front of Armentières in the First World War.

Data em que a história começou

1916 

Data em que a história terminou

1919

Local em que a história aconteceu

Western Front

Objectos associados / Summary description of items

2 fotografias

Theatres

Western Front

 

Objectos relacionados

Title

Fotografia Soldiers at the trenches, circa 1917-1918

Nome da pessoa a que o objecto está associado (Person 1)

Arnaldo Garcez

Contributor

Arquivo Histórico Militar, Lisboa

Descrição do objecto

Fotografia retratando soldados portugueses na frente, cerca 1917-1918

Tipo de objecto

Fotografia

Language

Português

Date created

1917

Date range ending

1919

Location (place name)

Western Front

Theatres

Western Front

 

Title

Parade at Montalvo, 1916

Nome da pessoa a que o objecto está associado (Person 1)

Arnaldo Garcez

Contributor

Arquivo Histórico Militar, Lisboa

Descrição do objecto

Fotografia retratando soldados portugueses numa parada em Montalvo, 1916.

Tipo de objecto

Fotografia

Language

Português

Date created

1916

Date range ending

1916

Theatres

Western Front