Te Papa Musuem: Food at Gallipoli
By Kyle Knight
Sitting along the coastal city of Wellington, New Zealand is a historical museum of international renown. The Te Papa museum boasts an impressive number of exhibits regarding the history and cultures of New Zealand, and reflects and ever-changing world in which Wellingtonians live. I had the unique opportunity of being able to visit this museum during my time abroad in the summer of 2016, and stumbled onto the Gallipoli war exhibition.
Unlike other museum exhibits, this particular section did not merely rely on facts, charts and artifacts to impress incoming crowds. Rather, the main attraction happened to be wax figures developed with an uncanny resemblance to soldiers and others who had perished or witnessed the horrific conflicts of World War I.
I recorded my experience in the Gallipoli exhbit, and came across one wax figure who showcased what limited food options existed for New Zealanders fighting on the front lines. A sculpture of a soldier named Jack Dunn is shown eating a can of old corn beef, which is covered in flies (refer to time 1:20 in the video below, or the external link). As the soldier peers down at the "meal," you begin to feel sorry for him. The food symbolizes more than just limited resources, but also the failure of fellow human beings to show empathy.
Dunn can be seen relying heavily on his meal out of convenience and responsibility. With the Gallipoli campaign failing, little time could be dedicated to eating a proper meal. Moreover, the food supplies were dwindling and soldiers were running out of will and energy.
Food, in this scenario, showcases the depth of war and at what lengths human beings will go to survive. If it takes eating rotting meat to move forward, the human spirit will do what it can to persevere. Identity becomes an afterthought.
Unlike other museum exhibits, this particular section did not merely rely on facts, charts and artifacts to impress incoming crowds. Rather, the main attraction happened to be wax figures developed with an uncanny resemblance to soldiers and others who had perished or witnessed the horrific conflicts of World War I.
I recorded my experience in the Gallipoli exhbit, and came across one wax figure who showcased what limited food options existed for New Zealanders fighting on the front lines. A sculpture of a soldier named Jack Dunn is shown eating a can of old corn beef, which is covered in flies (refer to time 1:20 in the video below, or the external link). As the soldier peers down at the "meal," you begin to feel sorry for him. The food symbolizes more than just limited resources, but also the failure of fellow human beings to show empathy.
Dunn can be seen relying heavily on his meal out of convenience and responsibility. With the Gallipoli campaign failing, little time could be dedicated to eating a proper meal. Moreover, the food supplies were dwindling and soldiers were running out of will and energy.
Food, in this scenario, showcases the depth of war and at what lengths human beings will go to survive. If it takes eating rotting meat to move forward, the human spirit will do what it can to persevere. Identity becomes an afterthought.