These plates form part of the Louis and Antoinette Thuillier Collection, courtesy of the Kerry Stokes collection, uncovered in 2011 after sitting undisturbed for nearly a century in the attic of a farmhouse in the French town of Vignacourt. Mr Stokes is donating more than 800 of these glass plate negatives, which feature Australian soldiers in informal settings. The discovery of these photographs represents one of the most important recent finds of material from the First World War. The donation is among the most significant to have been made to a cultural institution.
Remember me: the lost diggers of Vignacourt, an exhibition showcasing this unique collection, will open at the Australian War Memorial on 2 November 2012.
