NEWCASTLE photographer Bryan Rutledge gave an illustrated talk at the launch of a major new exhibition focusing on Belfast men who served during World War One.
The Northern Ireland War Memorial at Talbot Street was the venue for the official launch last Thursday for the new exhibition which runs until the end of the month. Mr. Rutledge is the museum’s photographer.
Community project, Castleton Lanterns, has joined forces with the NI Memorial to help identify those who served during the Great War.
The illustrated display includes lantern slide images of men from Castleton Church — located at Belfast’s York Road — who went into battle. The current display is running as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival.
Last year, a box of old lantern slides was found in the organ loft of Alexandra Presbyterian Church. The images were of soldiers and sailors in First World War uniforms and were made by the famous Belfast photographer, Mr. Alex R. Hogg.
The committee minutes of Castleton Church state that in 1918, Mr. Hogg was asked to put together a lantern slide exhibition “of our men at the front” which was to be shown on December 16, 1918. Tickets for the lantern slide show were sent to the families of serving men.