From Flanders Fields To St. James’s Park

FROM FLANDERS FIELDS TO ST. JAMES’S PARK

An open-air exhibition which captures the eerie peace and beauty of First World War battlefields as they appear today is to open in London’s St James’s Park to mark the war’s centenary.

The Fields of Battle / Lands of Piece exhibition, sponsored by The Royal British Legion, features sixty powerful images of contemporary landscapes from Flanders to Gallipoli. The exhibition is free to all members of the public and will run until Armistice Day on 11 November.

The photographs are shot by award-winning photo-journalist Michael St. Maur Sheil who has combined his passion for history and landscape to demonstrate how the battlefields of the Great War are now part of the landscape of modern Europe.

The exhibition has been made possible with sponsorship from the Legion, as well the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Imperial War Museums, Wecommunic8, Press Association, Mary Evans Picture Library and The Royal Parks.

Head of Remembrance at The Royal British Legion, Dr Stephen Clarke, said: ‘As the National Custodian of Remembrance it is only fitting that we help people honour and understand the sacrifices our Armed Forces have made, and continue to make.

‘The tranquil scenes depicted in these images were once raging battle fields where so many gave so much for their country. This remarkable exhibition will offer insight into a conflict that scarred not only lives but also the landscape forever, and the legacy that is left behind a century on.’

Michael St. Maur Sheil said: "The support of The Royal British Legion provides a huge boost for our London street gallery project, helping us introduce the subject of the First World War to audiences who might never normally visit a museum or art gallery, and inviting them to see its battlefields as they are today. To achieve this as a free exhibition, we are reliant on the generous support of the Legion and our other partners.”