Frank Hurley: The Man Who Made History

Since the beginning of civilisation, discoveries have encompassed an enticing notion of uncovering something for the first time; however contemporary perceptions of discovery appreciate the transformative nature of newfound realisations whether they arise from a process of deliberate planning or are evoked unexpectedly. Simon Nasht’s 2004 movie documentary Frank Hurley: The Man Who Made History explores the lifetime of the celebrated photojournalist and grand illusionist, Frank Hurley, who pioneered the art of photography and documentary filmmaking and transformed various principles, cultures and civilisations along the way. Correspondingly, Kate Chopin’s contextually divisive and avant-garde short story The Story of an Hour recounts the emotional

whirlwind experienced by the protagonist, personifying the concepts of feminism, emancipation and liberty. Both texts demonstrate the ramifications of discoveries for the individual and broader society and explore the magnitudes of these realisations in both an optimistic and unfavourable light.

While personal discoveries have the ability to revolutionise literary and artistic forms, together with granting the individual fame, wealth and distinction, they also damagingly influence the development of connections and relationships with other individuals. Hurley’s realisation of the power images possesses to portray “a whole range of human experience that no one had ever seen before” demonstrates his newfound belief in the need of photographs to tell the entire story, highlighted in the narration’s revelation of the infamous shot of Shackleton’s return in actuality being his departure,. This belief inspired Hurley to resort to different measures and innovations, such as manipulating and creating composite images as well as experimenting with colour for the first time, in order to attain the perfect shot as “it was impossible to secure the full effects of war without composite pictures”. Through this, Hurley not only transforms the art of photography with his ground-breaking techniques, but also cements his position in history as one of Australia’s most influential wartime photographers. On the other hand, extracts of the interview with Hurley’s twin daughters, Toni and Adele, illustrate the impression of a father who was always absent, “a fascinating stranger”, bringing to fruition the idea that Hurley never truly had the opportunity to explore and develop his relationship with his own children, as this connection was always sacrificed in order for Hurley to embark on another historical adventure, solidifying the idea that although discoveries have the aptitude to change one’s life, they all come at a cost.

Correspondingly, the idea of inner discovery sparks a new perception of life, becoming the facilitator in the transformation of one’s ethics, morals and principles. Mrs Mallard, much like Frank Hurley, becomes aware of the endless possibilities her life could offer following her sudden and eye opening discovery. The realisation of her husband’s supposed death inspires the repetition “Free, free, free!” embracing her new found freedom as a means of breaking the shackles of her old married life, and plunging into her new life free of the “blind persistence”. Chopin demonstrates the reclamation of Mrs Mallard individuality through the imagery of the open window “she could see in the open square…all aquiver with new spring life” emphasising her newfound independence and liberty. Revolutionising concepts related to the context of the story as the ninetieth century was an era that limited the progress of women. The protagonist’s escaping of the one dimensional “square” of her marriage, inspires her to truly experiencing all life has to offer for the first time, consequently demonstrating the ways in which discoveries transform and encourage individuals to acquire a new outlook on life.

Though personal discoveries have the ability to advance an individual professionally and personally, they also have the ability to preserve lost societies and rejuvenate aging demographics.

Despite Hurley’s expedition to Papua New Guinea being plagued with various controversies, “he unintentionally left them with something of immense value, a record of their lost culture” ultimately, depicting the power Hurley’s images had to preserve an aspect of life as unreturnable as a dying culture. This narration combined with the fragments of [insert names] interview showcase the ways Hurley captured the New Guinean civilisation through the barrel and his camera, demonstrating the enduring quality of his photography. Consequently Hurley provides future generations of the New Guinean society with a record of lost customs, practices and traditions allowing the culture to be continually passed down and prosper, rather than vanishing completely. Moreover, Hurley’s realisation that through camerawork he had the opportunity to “photograph the nation [Australia] as he wished it to be” forever transformed the demographic of Australian society. Acting as a catalyst, changing it from the once exclusively British society. This in turn ultimately paints Australia as a utopian society with “no poor, no indigenous Australians, no struggling farmers” inspiring over six million migrants to journey to the land of supposed boundless opportunity depicted in Hurley’s photographs, thus expressing the societal impacts of the ramifications of individual and communal

discoveries.

Similarly, discoveries have the power to lead to new world views that break free of the rigorous regulations and expectations of previous centuries embracing revolutionary perspectives on life and traditions. Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour demonstrates the profound ramifications of individual discoveries on societal expectations and standards. The juxtaposition of Mrs Mallard’s feelings upon learning of her husband’s death oscillate between that of numbness “when the storm of grief had spent itself” and extreme joy “drinking the very elixir of life through the open window” outlining her contradicting emotions and struggle to come to terms with the perceived normalities and prospects of nineteenth century society. However, having been written in the late nineteenth century right on the cusp of the turn of the century, the primal ideas of female independence and emancipation were inspirational and adopted in the customs of the twentieth century, in the same way Frank Hurley’s ground-breaking techniques pioneered the art of photography. Furthermore, the diametrically opposed perceptions of women in both the twentieth and nineteenth century were presumably influenced by the ideas raised in Chopin work. Evidently, Chopin asserts that “[Mrs Mallard] did not hear the story as many women have heard the same with paralysed inability to accept its significance”. Clearly, outlining that Mrs Mallard’s approach to situation mirrored that of a woman who embraced the values and morals of women in twentieth century American society, ultimately depicting the power of discoveries to revitalise the characteristic of a particular century or society.

In light of the above, contemporary notions of discovery have shifted in recent years, but ultimately still hold a transformative nature. Both Simon Nasht’s historical documentary Frank Hurley: The Man who Made History and Kate Chopin’s revolutionary text The Story of an Hour depict the ramifications of discoveries to both the individual and personal society.