MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
A new exhibition at the Canadian War Museum takes an unflinching look at the struggles and hopes of Canadian veterans wounded in recent years. Developed in partnership with Legion Magazine, The Wounded features 18 striking black-and-white portraits of Canadian men and women who served in Afghanistan, taken by award-winning photojournalist Stephen J. Thorne.
“There are many meaningful stories of courage and strength that take place after a conflict ends,” said Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History. “We are proud to share some of these powerful and deeply personal accounts of injury and recovery with our visitors.”
Sixteen of the portraits in the exhibition were originally featured in a series published by Legion Magazine in 2017. Two are new. Accompanying texts, drawn from the published profiles, share stories of loss, recovery and hope. The texts explore the personal experiences of the subjects, their rehabilitation and the realities of learning to live with their wounds, as told to Stephen Thorne. This exhibition also expands on the personal stories presented in Gallery 4 of Canadians who served in Afghanistan.
“When Legion Magazine published Stephen Thorne’s photographs, the response was immediate and powerful. They were shared more than 100,000 times,” said Jennifer Morse, General Manager of the magazine’s publisher, Canvet Publications Ltd. “Stephen has proven to be an elegant and effective ambassador for these veterans, and we are pleased to be able to share these striking portraits with visitors to the Canadian War Museum.”
It is conservatively estimated that more than 2,000 members of the Canadian Forces were wounded or injured during Canada’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan. Visible and invisible wounds profoundly changed the lives of those who served, as well as the lives of their loved ones. In every case, the Canadians portrayed in this exhibition embarked upon their journeys back from attacks, accidents and trauma with the help of colleagues, family and specially designed programs.
Stephen J. Thorne is a writer, photographer, editor and broadcaster who has reported extensively from conflicts in Kosovo and Afghanistan. During more than 40 years as a journalist, he has received three National Newspaper Awards, four Radio-Television News Directors’ Association broadcast awards, two Canadian Press Story of the Year awards, and the first Ross Munro Media Award for excellence in defence reporting.
The Wounded will be on display at the Canadian War Museum from February 15 to June 2, 2019. The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada’s military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions. Work of the Canadian War Museum is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.