Photographers > Ernest Brooks
(74) C.1261 - Captured German trench in Gommecourt
Thumbnail gallery: Grid view | List view
Universal Viewer | 
Mirador | Large image
Images and transcriptions on this page, including medium image downloads, may be used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence unless otherwise stated. 
| First World War 'Official Photographs' > Photographers > Ernest Brooks > (74) C.1261 - Captured German trench in Gommecourt |
|---|
| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74546452 |
|---|---|
| Description | Captured German trench, Gommecourt, France, during World War I. This image shows a typical trench - flooded and extremely muddy. The sides of the trench have been reinforced with large posts, planks of wood and interwoven branches. This photograph gives a very good impression of how high the walls of a trench could be. Soldiers could stand upright in this trench without fear of being seen. This was not always the case however. Scenes such as this view of a captured trench were commonly used as propaganda, intended to boost morale amongst the troops and provide reassurance to those at home. It gave people faith in the Allies' ability to push ahead and win the war. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON THE FRONT IN FRANCE. View in captured German trench in Gommecourt.'] |
More information
|
|
| Description | Ernest Brooks was the first British official war photographer to be assigned to the Western Front in 1916. Previously a 'Daily Mirror' photographer, he was given the honorary rank of Second Lieutenant. His remit was to take as many photographs as possible, with as much variety as possible. Using his inconspicuous hand-held camera Brooks was free to wander, sometimes capturing his subjects unawares. Many of the images taken by Brooks were used to fuel the propaganda machine at home and abroad. Despite this Brooks, who was very aware of composition and light, produced some very artistic and thought-provoking images. |
|---|---|
|
More information
|
|
| Description | Photographs by named photographers. |
|---|
| Description | Black-and-white photographs mainly of the Western Front during the First World War. Official British war photographers took many of them for propaganda purposes. Unless otherwise stated, titles are the photographs' original captions. From the papers of Field Marshal (Earl) Haig (1861-1928). The Haig Papers also contain Douglas Haig’s diaries. |
|---|---|
| Shelfmark | Acc.3155 |
|
More information
|
|