Unidentified soldier of the First AIF

ID Number: P06003.001
Place made: Unknown

The photograph was probably taken in Australia, pre-embarkation, sometime between 1915 and 1918.

Featured in the Memorial's 2008 exhibition Icon and Archive, the identity of this striking-looking man is not known and the Memorial had a lot of responses from people with possible identifications, none of which have been him.

Rights Info: No known copyright restrictions.

This photograph is from the Australian War Memorial's collection www.awm.gov.au

Persistent URL: cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/P06003.001

Comments and faves

  1. foe, trishlet, potatobird, casteaux, and 2694 other people added this photo to their favorites.

  2. mselderhuis (55 months ago | reply)

    Very strong image!

  3. sunnybrook100 (55 months ago | reply)

    BIG fave! What a handsome fellow!

  4. calirus (55 months ago | reply)

    Perfect photo! Very cool!

  5. ndnbrunei (55 months ago | reply)

    His piercing eyes and his youth are striking. I wonder what happened to the poor young fellow?

  6. fotpaint [deleted] (55 months ago | reply)

    After a lot of years, I can watch an excelent portrait that it could do it with very simples cameras. The expression is magnific. How could be his future then this shot ?

  7. banjoray555 (55 months ago | reply)

    Good photo. "Lonely are the brave". There are many unsung heroes that died for higher ideals !!! "Aussies" (Australians) and "Britts" (UK) are well known for their bravery in combat.

  8. vertuta (55 months ago | reply)

    beautiful eyes!

  9. BobMeade (55 months ago | reply)

    The style in which this photograph was created was also used in British formal military portraits of the time.

    For example see this one over at the Imperial War Museum:

    www.flickr.com/photos/imperialwarmuseum/30181 82905/

  10. simsmama (55 months ago | reply)

    very handsome man

  11. babau (54 months ago | reply)

    really nice!

  12. Liamfm . (54 months ago | reply)

    Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Teenage kicks, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

    great shot from former days

  13. My Symbiosis [deleted] (54 months ago | reply)

    see through eyes; marvelous!

  14. NOTmagenta (54 months ago | reply)

    damn! look at this... great photo!!!

  15. cltan47 [deleted] (54 months ago | reply)

    excellent shot

  16. Aubirdy (54 months ago | reply)

    he is handsome!
    amazing photograph.

  17. rondure (54 months ago | reply)

    photographers back in the days really knew what they were doing. the composition, the pose, the outfit setup is just right!

    look at the way the hat is tilted, the hat strap, the collars, perfect! it's a shallow dof too, but the focus is right on the eyes.

  18. Girl flyer (54 months ago | reply)

    He is handsome.

  19. jocelynsart (54 months ago | reply)

    what a beautiful old portrait!!!! not many modern day cameras can rival that stunning soft capture of the light and beautiful value gradations.

  20. Umar Bilal (54 months ago | reply)

    i want to meet you
    as soon as possible
    tell me quickly

  21. banjoray555 (54 months ago | reply)

    I totally agree with you, we can't see ourselves and the future if we don't look back to the world...the way we were, enjoyed, lived and suffered!!! Have a lovely Christmas Season !!!

  22. angel7publications (54 months ago | reply)

    Great photo. Touching!!! Nostalgic!!!!

  23. Edi Go (53 months ago | reply)

    amazing !!!

  24. Caroline-on-Murray (53 months ago | reply)

    I wonder what terrible things those beautiful eyes had to eventually look at? Great photo. Gone but not forgotten.

  25. jyotsnapathania [deleted] (53 months ago | reply)

    This Picture was detined to make him and itself immortal...what a dashing face cut, eyes so clear and alive, intelect and fearlessness is just dripping out

  26. Social India (53 months ago | reply)

    Thank you for sharing the excellent image!

  27. Nevena Uzurov (53 months ago | reply)

    Wonderful document...Beautiful phototgraphy...

  28. Zaharoula1 (53 months ago | reply)

    Very Handsome Guy !

  29. WalooyTheGreat (53 months ago | reply)

    guess he aint lookin like that no more :P

  30. <MILADY> (53 months ago | reply)

    unique!!!!!!!!!!!!

  31. Antonio Castaldini (53 months ago | reply)

    great portrait !

  32. Sven Olle Baljeu (53 months ago | reply)

    superb portrait!

    makes you wonder who he is/was?

  33. msokal (53 months ago | reply)

    Excellent portrait!.See the eyes...

  34. Paddrick (52 months ago | reply)

    Unidentified soldier of the First AIF

    Smudge painting interpretation of this photograph using Paint Shop Pro and Wacom tablet.
    View full size at:
    farm4.static.flickr.com/3414/3239130205_949c0 1f3a4_o.jpg

  35. jennifer juniper [deleted] (52 months ago | reply)

    he had a beautiful face.

  36. Cengiz.uskuplu (52 months ago | reply)

    Please add your wonderful image
    to this addictive group..
    Addicted To Flickr/Flickr Tutkunu
    **Invite 2 Comment 3**
    **Invited Photos only**

    MY CAMERA NEVER LIES
    MY CAMERA NEVER LIES
    INVITE ONLY!
    Please add this photo to the group:
    www.flickr.com/groups/mycameraneverlies/

  37. ↕rachel↕ [deleted] (52 months ago | reply)

    wow, love his eyes! my favorite so far!

  38. seetkeeper (52 months ago | reply)

    wow what a great photo and a strong image Love it..

  39. ~~**~~MissMadameS~~**~~ - Busy, so no invites! [deleted] (52 months ago | reply)

    Gorgeous guy, shame he died.

  40. dani.awesome [deleted] (52 months ago | reply)

    What a cutie. XPP

  41. south673 (52 months ago | reply)

    Stunning!

  42. Chris Halderman (51 months ago | reply)

    Really cool photo man!

  43. tylerphotos (51 months ago | reply)

    The cloning is apparent on this image, just below the eyes. The image is a little too doctored, but very captivating nonetheless.

  44. Paddrick (51 months ago | reply)

    Thanks for all the comments. I made an artistic interpretation of the original photo using a method called smudge painting.

    The interpretation was executed using the smudge brush in Paint Shop Pro with a Wacom tablet and pressure sensitive stylus to apply digital smudge brush strokes to every pixel in the digital image.

    I also removed the tell-tale photograph glare from the iris and pupil of the eyes, to make it look more like a painting than a photograph. Yes, and I fiddled with the whites of the eyes, with an intention to make them intense but retain enough depth so not to appear flat.

    It took a couple of hours to make this painterly interpretation.

  45. kelly crawford (51 months ago | reply)

    I am not sure where this Unidentified soldier of the First AIF started due to his name is (David Edmond Crawford) in 1922 he took a wife name (Rhonda) i dont know her last name be for she was his wife, thay had 4 kids, one of his sons (John) came to the usa around 1939 and john also had 4 sons all born in the usa. johns son (edmond) is my dad. now you know

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