Summary

Black and white photographic print, depicting Hell's Spit (also known as Hell Spit).

Attached to a small notebook used as a photograph album, containing 55 black and white photographs of ANZAC soldiers in Egypt, Mudros and Gallipoli during World War I. The photographs were taken by an Australian soldier, Sergeant John Lord or one of his friends (to be verified). John Lord served in the 13th Field Ambulance and returned to Australia shortly after the end of the War in 1919.

The album was one of many souvenirs brought back to Australia after World War I by Lord. Part of a larger collection of photograph albums, images, documents and World War I memorabilia donated by John Lord to Museum Victoria.

Image depicting Hell's Spit, Gallipoli. Hell's Spit was the southern most point of Anzac Cove.

Description of Content

A beach scene. Along the shoreline, to the left of the photograph, a group of men are working amongst carts, barrels and bits of wood. On a rise to the right of these men stand another, smaller group of men, some of whom appear to be watching them. One of the men on the rise, closest to the camera, has turned his head to look at the camera. There are cliffs to the right of the photograph that circle around the men and the water right around to the left side of the photograph.

Physical Description

Black and white photograph, mounted in a small, blue, army-issued notebook used as a photograph album.

Significance

This photograph is in a very significant album which includes a number of excellent photographs of Australian soldiers at Gallipoli and surrounding areas. Some of these are particularly clear and well-composed - for example, 'Rest Gully Anzac' shows hundreds of soldiers sitting and standing around talking and a valley with lots of dugouts and shelters. 'Old Kit etc at Anzac Ordnance Stores 1915' is another clear photograph, ,showing rubbish that the Anzacs generated at Gallipoli. Many of the photographs were taken when the weather was hot, but there are also a number of images taken in the snow. Another, 'Extreme Right of Anzac' demonstrates the steepness of the terrain and the mixture of clothing that the soldiers wore. All of the photographs appear to have been taken at times when the photographer was 'off duty', since the images are of the landscape or soldiers at rest.

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