The Archibald Controversy of 1944

At the June meeting of the Kiama Historical Society Peter Edwell presented a talk about the Great Archibald Controversy of 1944 which ended up in the Supreme Court, trying to decide whether or not William Dobell's (now) famous portrait of fellow artist Joshua Smith fit the definition of 'portrait'. Peter wrote a book about it: The Case that Stopped a Nation because it seriously was the biggest scandal of its time. Recorded 13th June 2026KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: [email protected]