Photographers > Ernest Brooks
(275) C.1948 - V.A.D. about to set out
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| First World War 'Official Photographs' > Photographers > Ernest Brooks > (275) C.1948 - V.A.D. about to set out |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74546654 |
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| Description | A VAD or member of the Voluntary Aid Detachment stands beside her ambulance. The existing caption tells us she is about to embark on a journey. She stands to the right of her vehicle and has her left foot on the footplate. She wears the VAD uniform over which she has a long waxed cotton trench coat. Like most VAD ambulance drivers, she wears a set of goggles. The vehicle is Canadian, which suggests that its driver is too. The VAD, or Voluntary Aid Detachment, began as part of the Red Cross in 1909, as a unit of nurses who would assist in times of war. In 1914 there were 74,000 VADs, over two thirds of these were women. They worked at a variety of jobs, primarily providing rudimentary medical care and also as cooks, clerks and drivers to name but a few. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON THE BRITISH WESTERN FRONT IN FRANCE. A V.A.D. about to start out.'] |
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| 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. |
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| Description | Photographs by named photographers. |
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| 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. |
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| Shelfmark | Acc.3155 |
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