Frank Hurley (Australia), photographs

Frank Hurley (1885-1962) was an Australian photographer and adventurer who became renowned for his photographs of exploration and war. Born in Sydney, Australia, Hurley was the son of a successful portrait photographer and grew up around cameras and darkrooms.

At the age of 22, Hurley joined an expedition to Papua New Guinea as the official photographer. He documented the people, landscape, and wildlife of the region, producing some of his most iconic images. This experience sparked a lifelong passion for exploration and photography.

Hurley later joined the legendary Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton on his 1914-1917 expedition aboard the Endurance. When the ship became trapped in ice, Hurley documented the struggle for survival of the crew in the harsh Antarctic environment, producing some of his most famous photographs. After the expedition, he published a book of his photographs, titled "South with Endurance".

During World War I, Hurley served more... as an official photographer for the Australian Imperial Force. He captured images of battles, soldiers, and life on the front lines, often risking his own life to do so. His photographs were used to document the war effort and promote support for the war.

After the war, Hurley continued to travel and take photographs, producing images of remote regions of Australia, New Guinea, and the Middle East. He also worked as a cinematographer, producing documentary films of his expeditions and travels.

In the later years of his life, Hurley worked as a commercial photographer and published several books of his photographs, including "The Pearls and Savages" and "The Home of the Blizzard". He died in Sydney in 1962, leaving behind a legacy as one of Australia's most accomplished and influential photographers. less...