The 100th anniversary of the First World War in 2014 draws closer and the arrangements of many centenary celebrations are in full swing.
Stockwell-based photographer Simon Gregor wanted to contribute and he set up the Remembrance Image Project, which will feature photographs of the key locations of the First World War at the Western front as they appear 100 years on.
Between 2014 and 2018, Simon plans to make between eight to 10 photography trips to the war sites to capture some of the spirit and the emotion of those locations, 100 years after the occurrence took place. He has already visited some of the sites in preparation for the project.
The idea for the project was sown after Simon mounted an exhibition of photographs of Battle of Britain airfields from the Second World War as they look today. A while after that he visited the WWI battlefields in France and Belgium, and he put the two together.
Simon explained: “I work as a photographer, and I have always had a passionate interest in history, so this seemed like a good way of bringing the two together, and hopefully of doing something worthwhile in the process.”
The project is about more than the photographs, however. Simon wants to contribute to the education about the Great War.
Even for Simon it has been a steep learning curve. He admitted: “When I began, my knowledge of WWI was limited to what I could remember from my GCSE history. I have had to do a lot of research to fill in the many gaps in my knowledge. I’m still learning of course, which for me is part of the interest of the project.”
He is setting up workshops and presentations at local schools and community groups to share what he has learned and to kindle a discussion on the history and the role of remembrance.
Simon said: “I would like to increase understanding of what happened in WWI, as it has had such a huge impact on the history of the last one hundred years. I’d also like to encourage people to reflect on what remembrance means to them.
Lambeth council has invited Simon to join their centenary planning group and he gladly accepted. “I was delighted to be asked to join the council’s planning group – for me it’s a great way to network with other very knowledgeable people locally, and to see some of the exciting plans which Lambeth is developing for the centenary,” he said.
Simon is very keen to hear from any schools or other groups in Brixton who are interested in a presentation of the project. Find out more on the website.
