100 Stories

Their faces have stared out at us from my Son's computer screen for the last 2 years.
Some lingered briefly, others stayed much longer.  Their stories for us at the time, were best not told, lest the work could not be completed.

With their photographs cleaned up, reconstructed, renewed and with the help of modern technology, these people were now able to step into the world once more.

They are the Men, Women and yes, Children who answered the call to fight for King and Country in the "Great War" - The War to end all Wars.


Stories of the ANZAC heroes that we learnt about in school are not here.
These are stories that only families know -
These are the stories that should not be forgotten.

* * * *

My Son's involvement in this project came about when Monash University approached him to animate the photographs so they could be placed in a Digital Presentation of the project for display at Australian War Memorials in time for the 100 Anniversary of the start of the Great War.

I watched him create 3D images where portraits ceased to be nameless faces on faded photographs of young men about to go to war, but of someone's Son, Husband, Brother, resplendent in Uniform about to embark on a great adventure.

I watched as he worked on images of faces so badly disfigured by mortar fire and saw the valiant yet hopeless attempts to reconstruct these faces by Surgeons trained on the battlefield.

By popular demand, these stories have been re-cast in a book.
Yesterday he received, from the Authors an autographed copy.

My Son's work is not printed in this book - to see his contribution to the 100 Stories Project will require time in quiet contemplation at any of the War Memorials that are showing the digital presentation.

The first 50 Stories
are available on-line at monash.edu/onehundredstories.

The book is available through
Penguin Publishing