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 |
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 |
