This series consists of copies of official war photographs produced within the Australian War Records Section and supplied by AIF Australian Imperial Force Publications, Australia House London.

This information has been stamped on the reverse of each photograph. It appears that war photographs were available for sale at Australia House, London.

In July 1917 J.F. Hurley was appointed Official Photographer in the AIF, having the honorary rank of captain, with Lieutenant (later Captain) Wilkins as his assistant. Shortly afterwards the Australian War Records Section was made responsible for the activities of the official photographers.

After the end of World War I the Australian War Records Section was incorporated into the Australian War Museum (later the Australian War Memorial) which was given responsibility for collections of operational written records, trophies and pictorial records of the war.

Subjects depicted in the photographs are scenes from the battlefields in France, and a group photograph in two sections (i.e. two prints) of Australian soldiers.

These photographs are doubtless all included in the Australian War Memorial collection. Several were reproduced in the Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18 Volume XII : Photographic Record of the War, appearing as nos. 371, 374 and 390 in that publication; Australian War Museum Nos. E765, E711 and E837 respectively.

There are references in the control records for CRS A1952, Defence Correspondence files, multiple number system, 1917-1929, to "E" series photographs being sent to the Department of Defence from the Australian High Commissioner, London (e.g. 560/1/325), referring presumably to the collection later placed in the Australian War Museum, of which the present series are copies.

The sixteen photographs from this series held by the Victorian Regional Office, Australian Archives, were transferred by a member of the public who found them in a house in Essendon. The previous owner of the house was contacted; her husband had served as a soldier during World War I but had died in 1952, and she was unable to provide further information. Australian Archives staff have placed the photographs in plastic envelopes and imposed a single numbering system for identification purposes.

The Australian War Memorial retains reproduction rights for these photographs, so any requests for copies of the images should be directed to the Australian War Memorial.

In 2001 the National Archives produced negatives from these photographs and these are held in B4260/1. All images have also been digitally loaded onto RecordSearch.