Live to Fight: The War Photography of Ken Bell

University of Calgary Founders' Gallery

Live to Fight: The War Photography of Ken Bell

Dates: 1 Nov 2025 - 16 Feb 2026

As a photographer with the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit, Ken Bell was deeply moved by the lived experiences of combatants and civilians in Northwest Europe.

Exposed to tank battles, devastating daylight bombing raids, and the haughty candor of young German prisoners-of-war, his photographs return constantly to the human impacts of conflict: soldiers enjoying a makeshift shower, fearful faces en route to Normandy, glazed exhaustion and mud-caked boots, or cheerful insouciance during a roadside lunch break.

Using Bell’s images and his first-hand recollections along with Canadian tools and equipment common to the late Second World War, this exhibit examines the daily business of fighting and living for Canadian soldiers in Northwest Europe between 1944 and 1945.