Beyond the Uniform: Portraits of Nuns and Soldiers

Lynn Whitney’s collection of pictures, Beyond the Uniform: Portraits of Nuns and Soldiers were created in the 1980s during the Reagan era. Her intimate portraits of nuns and young army reservists offer a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of two often-overlooked communities. Unlike contemporary portrayals of soldiers in combat or ceremonial depictions related to military and religious pageantry, Whitney focuses on the emotional experiences of individuals dedicated to service and sacrifice–whether through spiritual devotion or civic duty.

Artist Statement

“Forty years have passed since these pictures were made. I wrote a letter, met with the Garrison Commander at Fort Devens in Massachusetts, and subsequently was given access to the 5,000 acres where Army Reservists train. I reached out to various convents, described my project to the Mother Superiors, and was invited to meet with them and see what they and I were about. After my pictures were made, I took care to share them with the leaders of both the army and the convents.

I began with an interest in seeing if I could understand the commitment and discipline required to serve within a structured framework designed for an organized purpose. My hometown is known for the ‘shot heard round the world’, marking the beginning of the American Revolution and where creative writers and critical thinkers resided and worked: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and Henry David Thoreau, among them. Growing up in this environment, I developed a deep belief in individual rights and freedoms. Consequently, this grouping titled Beyond the Uniform illuminates those who have chosen, either temporarily or for a lifetime, to tap down their identity in service of a collective mission.

“Forty years ago, I was the same age as the individuals I photographed. The questions I had for myself about who or what I would become are mirrored in their faces. Their generosity– along with that of their leaders, their trust, reaffirmed that in seeing them, they were also seeing me, and helping me answer my own questions about identity and purpose.”