Who was that young man in the picture, that handsome young soldier dressed in heavy khaki, and the little boy beside him, attired in his best blue and white sailor suit? Was the cherubic infant his brother or his son? Was the photo taken just before the young man left home for the Great War? He smiles at the camera, blue-eyed and smooth skinned, his strong chin handsomely cleft, a gentle gaze invoking innocence and expectation. Pride. Readiness to go and help the “Mother Country” in Gallipoli, France or in Flanders’ Fields.
I found the photograph of this man in an old wares shop in Quorn, South Australia, in the mid 1970s. It was sepia toned, taken in 1915, but I always saw the colours that weren’t there, the khaki, the bronzed badge, the bairn’s pink cheeks and blond curls. He used to gaze serenely from my wall, slouch hat shadowing his brow, and spoke to me in times of loneliness, restoring my balance with his ever-present calm.
Someone, perhaps his parents, paid dearly for that studio portrait and framing. Beautifully carded, simply framed in austere honeyed oak, worn shiny with time. Why was the portrait discarded? Did he die somewhere in that horrific war? Were his elders left, like so many country folk, to struggle against nature on those arid plains, sowing wheat and grazing sheep, without a son to assist them? Did his family line just disappear?
I think of that man often, I can still see his face. I am the keeper of his memory.
My post last Anzac Day, 2014. Commemorating Slaughter with a Biscuit. https://almostitalian.wordpress.com/2014/04/24/anzac-day-2014-commemorating-slaughter-with-a-biscuit/
ALMOST ITALIAN 
Tears on this one – beautifully put, and I feel the same way at many of the old photos. I feel similarly moved when I see images of now-old men, full of never-to-be-understood wonder and sadness at what they have known, faced and endured. Thank you x
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Hi Rach, The photo went in the bushfire but he lives on in my mind so vividly. yes, the old diggers and those old photos… they do that to us.xx
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Love that you are the keeper of this young mans portrait. A moving piece of writing.
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I am the keeper, but sadly, the picture went in 2009. He lives in my mind.
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I couldn’t think of anyone better than you to cherish this photo. Thank you for sharing this .. We have so much to be grateful for
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The photo is now gone- destroyed in the bushfire of 2009, but my memory of that man is so profound. xx
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So touching. I am a Kiwi in Japan but have been thinking about the Dawn Services and the fallen Anzacs this weekend as friends, colleagues and family have taken time to pay their respects at home and from countries afar. You said “Someone, perhaps his parents, paid dearly for that studio portrait …” and like you I wonder if they did pay dearly, with the life of their beloved son. Thank you for sharing these sentiments and honouring one of the many unknown soliders. Lest we forget.
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I shared your post on my fb page for my friends and family. I hope that’s ok.
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Thanks Leanne- hope they enjoyed it.
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Lest we forget. x
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I would love to know the story behind some antiques, especially ones like that!
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It is lovely that you still remember him, even after he, and the photo are gone. Beautiful description of the photo and what it meant to you, and still means. Photos have such tremendous power. Perhaps we should say ‘their images liveth forever more’. xx
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I think of this man often- I had him with me for around 30 years so I could almost paint his face.
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Makes you wonder… Would you be able to ever find out?… Beautiful post!
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Lest we forget. Beautiful, heartfelt post. It’s wonderful you gave the photo a home for the years you had it, and keep it still in your memory. I feel sad when I see old photos in op shops etc. Someone would have treasured them once.
On ANZAC Day I think of them all: past, present, known, unknown. We go to both dawn service and the march. It’s the least we can do.
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