Frank Hurley left behind a collection of striking and daring photographs. His most famous images are of Ernest Shackleton's legendary Antarctic expedition, but he also took remarkable photographs during WWI and in his native Australia.
Using extensive archive footage shot by Hurley, as well as many of his photographs, this documentary traces the photographer's life and work. We return to the Antarctic with the photographer's twin daughters and also hear about the controversy surrounding some of his pictures.
Hurley Facts
Frank Hurley was born in Australia in 1885 and ran away from home when he was 14 to work on the docks. He bought his first camera when he was 17
He made six trips to the Antarctic, including the expedition led by Shackleton on the Endurance
When the team were forced to abandon the Endurance Hurley had to leave behind 400 of his 520 glass negatives because they were so heavy
After working as an official photographer on the Western Front in WWI, Hurley travelled to Palestine to film the Australia troops
Following his anthropological film Pearls and Savages, Hurley faced charges of having exploited the people of New Guinea
His star dimmed further as he made a couple of lacklustre feature films, including The Jungle Woman in 1926
Towards the end of his life Hurley returned to Australia and made his name once more as a pictorial photographer. He died in Australia in 1962
