Keepsakes and Stories: Conserving Mementos from WW1

Artlab Australia Exhibition part of the Flanders Field Project 2016

17 – 26 August 2016

In June 2016 Artlab Australia was proud to participate in the Flanders Field Poppy Trail project with an exhibition, Keepsakes and Stories: Conserving Mementos from WW1 which ran from 17 June to 26 August 2016.

The Flanders Field Poppy Trail was an initiative of the Honorary Consuls of France and Belgium in collaboration with a local consortium: University Collections at the University of Adelaide, Artlab Australia, Army Museum of South Australia, South Australian Museum, Art Gallery of South Australia, State Opera of South Australia, State Library of South Australia and was proudly supported by Veterans SA and the Anzac Day Commemorative Council. The project held a special program of events from 2nd June to 30th August 2016, across Adelaide and in South Australia, to commemorate Australian, French and Belgian allies during WWI who fought on the Western front.

Keepsakes and Stories exhibition featured WW1 memorabilia preserved by Artlab conservators with photographs on display of the conservators during the treatment process of the items. Accompanying the memorabilia and photographs, were stories written by the owners who generously loaned their keepsakes for the exhibition. These poignant and thoughtful narratives described the soldiers who previously owned the memorabilia and how the precious item was handed down through the generations and the strength of the emotional significance for the families.

The exhibition was officially opened on 17 June 2016 and it was a memorable night. The Honourable Martin Hamilton-Smith MP, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs launched the exhibition with a heartfelt speech and the guests, who included our very special guests, the owners of the war memorabilia who graciously loaned their items for the display, had the opportunity to meet again with the conservators who actually worked on the treatment of their items. It was a fantastic reunion with the owners, work colleagues and relatives of the owners who also attended the night.

The exhibition was a great success for Artlab, with 400 people visiting the exhibition during opening times. Audiences who visited Keepsakes and Stories expressed admiration for the conservation work carried out by Artlab’s conservators on the wonderful WW1 memorabilia displayed.

People genuinely expressed how they were moved by the personal stories written by family member’s generations later, which reminded the viewer of the heroism of these soldiers and that their memories still live on in these families through these significant WW1 keepsakes and stories.

Artlab Australia was honoured to present this deeply meaningful exhibition and would like to thank all the owners of the memorabilia for their wonderful contribution to make this exhibition a success, and for each beautiful story so thoughtfully written. It was a wonderful experience to work with you all.

You will find in the next eleven pages in Recent Projects, after this page, the stories and photographs from the eleven owners for you to read in the order that they were displayed in the exhibition, beginning with the Anzac Cove Painting.