“Photographs are the images of history rescued from the oblivion of mortality.”
-Neil Sheehan
The toll of war in Syria has been unbelievably high. More than 4 million people have been displaced, 2 million as refugees into neighbouring countries and more 130,000 dead. I’ve lived my life in peaceful times and have been insulated from the high cost of conflict. There was a time when I entertained romantic notions of being a foreign war corespondent but I took a different path. My interest in how conflict is recorded and preserved, however, has not abated.
The Guardian’s Martin Chulov posted a piece (linked) about the toll of war on Syria’s heritage and the reason I’m sharing this with you is the before and after images included in the post. While there is no greater cost to war than human lives, the collateral damage to Syria’s history is heart breaking, and I can’t help but wonder if what will be left of Syria’s past is what is preserved by photos made prior to eruption into war.
Coincidentally, Monuments Men, a new film by George Clooney tells the story of a group of men, pressed into service in World War II, tasked to save the cultural artifacts stolen by the Nazis, is set to be released and I am looking forward to seeing it. Please have a look at Martin Chulov’s piece.
Elysium Photo by Rob Shaer 