Photographers
Ernest Brooks
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| First World War 'Official Photographs' > Photographers > Ernest Brooks > (216) C.1783 - German prisoners taken in the new push lined for examination near Messines |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74545930 |
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| Description | German prisoners of war, Messines, Belgium, 1917. Long rows of German soldiers are lined up diagonally across the picture. They are being watched from a high guard post behind them. Soldiers are lying watching them while an officer inspects them. Scenes such as this were commonly used as propaganda, intended to reaffirm resolve against the enemy and reassure those at home. The Battle of Messines Ridge (1917) involved the British soldiers using their considerable mining expertise, digging under the German trenches, and blowing them up with TNT. [Original reads: OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE WESTERN FRONT. German prisoners taken in the new push lined for examination near Messines.'] |
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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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