Panoramic view of Halifax, NS after disaster December 6, 1917, looking south

At 9:05 on December 6. 1917, the French munitions ship Mont-Blanc exploded in Halifax harbour, killing over 2,000 people and completely flattening two square kilometres of northern Halifax. It would remain the largest man-made explosion in the world until the dropping of the atom bombs in 1945.Charlottetown native W. G. MacLaughlan, a photographer and cinematographer, came to Halifax in 1914 and set up his studio on Barrington Street. Shortly after, he was appointed the official military photographer at Halifax. Following the Halifax Explosion on December 6, 1917, MacLaughlan was in an unique position to photograph and film the devastated area – an area surrounded by armed guards and inaccessible without an official pass.