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Back to NewsroomVignacourt 14-18 - The Lost Diggers of Vignacourt
A few dozen kilometres behind the Western Front stands the village of Vignacourt. It was here that Louis and Antoinette Thuillier, a farming couple with a passion for photography, immortalised the portraits of many of their visitors. Thought to be lost after the War these photo were rediscovered in in 2011 and since 2014, have been displayed in the Vignacourt 14-18 Interpretation Centre enabling visitors to discover the portraits of these men from around the world.
History
Between 1914 and 1918, when general mobilisation called on all able men to fight to defend France against the German advance, Louis Thuillier, a farmer from the village of Vignacourt, was called up. Wounded in action and demobilised at the start of the war, he returned home to his wife, Antoinette, and their young son, Robert. But as the war progressed and the front line stabilised a few dozen kilometres to the east, Vignacourt became an important Allied base, and the point of passage for many soldiers and civilians, particularly from Great Britain and the colonies.
Great fans of innovation and owners of a plate camera, which was rare at the time, they set up their own small photography studio in the courtyard of their farmhouse. From here they started taking pictures of soldiers and civilians as they visited the village.
The photos were then printed onto postcards, using an oil-and-water technique. Many Australian soldiers sent them home to their loved ones.
The images show various aspects of the Western Front, from military life to the friendships that were formed between soldiers and locals. Many of the photos are informal and relaxed, showing men trying to enjoy themselves at a distance from the front, and sadly, for many these are the last images taken before being killed on the battlefield.
In total, almost 4,000 photographic plates were taken by the couple, but in the aftermath of the war they were stored in the farm’s attic before being forgotten. Some of these photographs were developed in the 90s for the inauguration of the “rue des Australiens” of Vignacourt (Street of the Australians), and a rumour began to spread that there were missing photos of soldiers from the First World War.
The Interpretive Centre
In 2011, an Australian television crew from the Seven Network investigated and met with Mrs Henriette Crognier, a descendant of the Thuillier couple who still lived in Vignacourt. Henriette knew where the collection had been kept all these years, and, in the attic of the old Thuillier farmhouse, the Thulliers’ 4,000 photographic plates were uncovered. Local and Australian interest was immediate.
Kerry Stokes, president of Seven Network, bought the collection and repatriated the negatives for restoration. He then donated over 800 negatives to the Australian War Memorial. The collection is now known as “The Lost Diggers of Vignacourt”.
In 2012, following the success of the exhibition of these photos during the town’s first Anzac Day, the municipality bought the Thuillier farm to create the Vignacourt 14-18 Interpretation Centre. Today, visitors can discover the many photos of these soldiers and civilians. Their smiling, sad or dreamy portraits invite visitors on an emotional journey.
Useful information
Opening hours
High season: (April to October)
Tuesday to Friday: 10am – 6pm
Saturday and Sunday: 2pm – 6pm
Closed on Mondays
Low season: (November to March)
Tuesday to Friday: 1:30 pm to 5 pm
Saturday: 2pm – 5pm
Closed on Sunday and Monday
Closed in December
Admission
Full price: €5
Reduced rate: 3€ (with supporting documents: jobseekers, students, veterans, CCNS residents / groups of 15 or more)
School groups: 2€ (Accompanying adult free)
Children under 12: €2
Annual pass: €20
As well as welcoming visitors, the Interpretation Centre also takes on the immense task of identifying soldiers, a laborious yet rewarding task which has already led to the identification of soldiers such as Private James Dillon, or brothers Charles and James Stokes.
