The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Wooden lidded storage box, painted black on the outside and intended for storage and travelling. The lid is supplied with two nickel plated brass latches in front and two self supporting hinges at the back, with a leather handle on top. All sides and the base of the box, the edges of the lid and corners are strengthened with brass strips or corner reinforcements. Each side of the case is equipped with a leather mounted brass ring for mounting a carrying strap. The front outside of the case is stencilled in white "5 / COMMMONWEALTH / DEPT / OF / INFORMATION"; the sides are similarly painted with a white 5 and a round circle. This idenification of 5 is continued with a strip of red dymotape bearing the number 5 and a SCREEN AUSTRALIA asset number (C 0586). One of the latches is engraved with the legend "CAM035" The case also bears a number of coloured dots (green and yellow) while the right side of the case carries a length of white medical tape with the hand written label " DAMIEN's CAMERA CASE / FOR NEWMAN SINCLAIR"; the other side has a length of brown tape with the hand written label "DAMIENS OLD NEWMAN"
The interior of the case is lined with black velevt or velour. The inside of the lid contains four black leather equipment storage pouches equipped with press fasteners. The rest of the case is fitted for the Newman Sinclair camera, with two lidded cases at the rear for the storage of film magazines; and a four-comparment set-up at the front for the storage of lenses.
Storage case with the Department of Information (DOI) logo on the front. It is unclear whether this case is a Newman Sinclair item; N&S camera and film storage cases usually had a "Newman and Sinclair" brass plaque on the inside of the lid, whereas this case does not. The possibility exists that this was a case originally used (and possibly made) by the Cinema branch of the Department of Commerce (c 1932 - 1939) and has then been repainted black by the Department of Information (1939 - 1950), before they and their equipment (as the Film Division) was transferred to Department of the Interior (part of the Australian News and Information Bureau); this became the Commonwealth Film Unit (CFU) in 1956; and Film Australia in 1973.
The engraved identification "CAM 035" on the latch is thought to be a DOI internal control number. This number matches the identification engraved on the camera, and two of the camera magazines.
The camera is marked PARER on the upper front of the case; that this was camera case issued to Damien Parer by the DOI is confirmed by a DOI file (143/8/23) which includes this case and camera (serial number 305) in the list of DOI-issued equipment brought back from the Middle East by Parer and Alan Anderson, dated 4 May 1943.
Damien Parer gained fame as an official photographer and cinematograher during the Second World War, working for the Department of Information in the Middle East (accompanying Frank Hurley) and in New Guinea where his film 'Kokoda Front Line!' won an Academy Award for its producer Ken Hall. In the second half of 1943 he parted ways with the DOI and began filming for Paramount News. It was while working for them on Peleliu, filming the Marine invasion, that he was killed by a Japanese sniper on 17 September 1944.
The case also has later Screen Australia identification.
Rectangular duralimium cased film cartridge with a handle on the front side to assist with the removal from the camera. This originally held 200 feet (approximatley 60 m) of film. The top of the magaz
Cine camera body manufactured from duralinium with a checkerboard finish. The top of the camera is equipped with buckled leather carrying strap and also bears a "FILM AUSTRALIA / CELEBRATING EIGHTY YE
Informal portrait of war photographer and cinematographer Damien Parer with a 16mm Bell and Howell camera. Prior to the Second World War, Parer worked at Dupain’s studio and had been a member of the p
Damien Parer, official military photographer and cameraman with the Department of Information Film Unit, standing beside the Unit's panel van. Note the camera equipment on the roof of the vehicle. Par
Informal portrait of war photographer and cinematographer Damien Parer with a Kodak Cine Special II 16mm camera. Prior to the Second World War, Parer worked at Dupain’s studio and had been a member of
Studio portrait of Damien Parer by photographer Max Dupain. Portrait is one of a pair belonging in a folio gifted to Parer by Dupain. Damien Parer is arguably Australia’s most well-known war photogra
