Don’t miss the March 28th meeting:

Lens above Lens:
The development & use of aerial photography in WWI
Gord Beck, Map Specialist, McMaster University Library

The Great War was the first to make extensive use of aerial photography. The airplane—still in its infancy—offered a vitally important platform from which to view the enemy. It was soon learned that from this new, vertical perspective no footprint of activity could go unnoticed. As a result, uses for aerial photographs proliferated and ranged from artillery spotting and damage assessment to camouflage detection and map creation. It was no longer possible to hide in ‘plane’ sight. The world would never be the same.

Biography/Introduction for Promotional Material:
Gord Beck is McMaster University Library’s Map Specialist. In 2003 he created a website housing the world’s largest online collection of WWI maps and aerial photos, and in 2009 he helped McMaster acquire the Chasseaud Collection which repatriated many Canadian trench maps. He has been a guest speaker at the Canadian War Museum and the National Gallery in Ottawa and has collaborated with Canadian Geographic on projects involving the creation of a ‘Giant Floor Map’ of Vimy Ridge and a WWI documentary narrated by Dan Aykroyd entitled, ‘Drawn to Victory.’