Exhibition to mark VE Day anniversary celebrates Manx war photographer

House of Manannan display to showcase wartime images as part of 80th anniversary commemorations

A new exhibition celebrating the life and work of Island-born photojournalist Leonard McCombe will open next week at the House of Manannan in Peel.

Manx National Heritage has announced the display, 'Leonard McCombe: Through the Lens of War', to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May.

It will focus on Mr McCombe’s work documenting the final months of the Second World War, capturing powerful images across Europe, Germany and Poland as the conflict came to an end.

Mr McCombe, who worked alongside prominent figures such as BBC broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, became known for his ability to capture striking images of people in war-torn countries.

His talents later earned him a job at Life magazine in the United States, where he documented post-war life and inadvertently contributed to the creation of the iconic 'Marlboro Man' campaign through his photography.

The exhibition has been made possible following efforts by Mr McCombe’s family to archive his extensive collection of negatives and prints, many of which had been stored away for decades.

Curator of Art and Social History Matthew Richardson said: "Working on the exhibition Leonard McCombe: Through the Lens of War has been both exciting and rewarding for me.

“It is unusual in this era to uncover a completely forgotten archive but that is what the McCombe family appear to have done.

“Leonard was a man who did not court publicity, indeed in his later years seems to have actively avoided it, but in rediscovering his treasure trove of negatives and bringing them to a wider audience, Clark and Beverly McCombe have done those of us with an interest in the Second World War a great service.

“Leonard had a real eye for what would make a great photo. Yet one of the consequences of his career as a photojournalist taking off, as it did after the war, is that he is perhaps not as well known in his native isle as he should be.

“I hope that this exhibition and the IOM Post stamp issue will bring his work – and his name – to the attention of a new audience. The images that we have selected for our exhibition are also a perhaps timely reminder of the human consequences of war and make for sobering viewing as we approach the 80th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War in Europe.”

Mr McCombe’s son, Clark, added: “It has been a humbling experience to appreciate my father in a different light.

“My wife Beverly urged me to record my father in his final years and her hard work in archiving his photos and scrapbooks has made this exhibition possible.”

The exhibition will run from 8 May to 5 October, with free admission and donations welcome.