Historical information
The origin of the book goes back to 2007 when a tin of nitrate negatives (Cat No 1248.2) came to the Bendigo RSL Museum via Aylene Kirkwood (Eaglehawk Heritage Society) and her friend Jean Grinton, Jack Grintons Daughter. The tin of negatives had been sitting in a shed at Jeans place for many years. The RSL Museum sorted some to see what they were about and were mostly WW1 era overseas. The Museum had some reproduced by Wayne Eels a Dark Room Technician and the quality was amazing.
A small number were shown at an exhibition in a talk by Museum Curator Peter Ball in March 2008. The exhibition was called “Snapshots and Stories” by Corrine Perkin from the Bendigo Art Gallery and included a number of Bendigo Historical groups. The RSL Museum by then had put together 44 images in 11 frames to make a story (cat No's 5880P to 5890P) and shown at the Bendigo District RSL Sub Branch Inc in April 2008. The exhibition included memorabilia from Jean Grinton. Corrine Perkin who was at the opening spoke to the Curator Peter Ball with the view that a travelling exhibition could be made from this.
After discussions then began 12 months research between Corinne and Peter identifying people in the photos, places, deciphering Jack's Diary, researching the 38th Bn to gain an overall picture of Jack and Bert Grinton, producing photos for quality. Eventually an exhibition of photos (Cat No's 7100P to 7179P), story boards with photos (Cat No's 7180 to 7187) came into being.
The opening was at the Bendigo Art Gallery on the evening of June 13th 2009 with Les Carlyon as guest speaker and went through until August 2nd. The exhibition was accompanied by memorabilia of Jacks Daughter Jean and Bert's Daughter Dorothy.
The exhibition then went onto 4 more locations including the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance.
Jacks service details are in Cat No 1280, Berts are in Cat No 1320P.
Physical description
Book, cardboard cover, 64 gloss pages. Front cover shows Jack Grinton in Barracks hut 19 England in 1916. The book relates to the photo collection of Jack Grinton and his brother Albert (Bert) both in the 38th BN AIF.
The publication is in 6 sections.
1. Preface - Karen Quinlan, Director Art Gallery.
2. Two brothers, a Camera and a War to end all Wars - Corrine Perkin, Exhibition Curator Bendigo Art Gallery.
3. The Great War - Les Carlyon, Journalist and Author.
4. Photographing War - Colin Harding, Curator photographic technology, national media museum UK
5. The Grinton Collection in 6 Sub Sections;
Living behind the lines.
The burden of war.
Trip of a lifetime.
Portraiture and remembrance.
Quota 45: The journey home.
Life after 1919.
