The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has opened a photo exhibition in Ypres to mark the 90th anniversary of the Menin Gate.
Twenty pictures have been selected from CWGC’s archives for display on the ramparts next to the memorial to almost 55,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers of the Great War who have no known grave.
They range from an image of the architect’s original plans, to snapshots of famous visitors over the past 90 years, to details of how CWGC cares for one of its most visited sites today.
The Commission says some of the archive photographs have been taken from original glass plate negatives, recently scanned and preserved, that reveal extraordinary levels of detail.
CWGC Director General Victoria Wallace opened the exhibition after this morning’s international commemorative service for the opening of the Menin Gate on 24 July 1927.
This Sunday (July 30), the memorial will be the setting for a special Last Post ceremony on the eve of the Third Battle of Ypres/Passchendaele Centenary.
The ‘Menin Gate in Photos’ will be on display until the end of September 2017. More from the archives can be found on the CWGC website.
Images courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission/Alexandra Baye
Posted by: CN Editorial Team