Photographers > Ernest Brooks
(234) C.1817 - Writing home
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 > (234) C.1817 - Writing home |
|---|
| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74545958 |
|---|---|
| Description | Soldier writing a letter, Messines, Belgium, 1917. A young soldier reclines on the ground. He is writing on a small piece of paper, possibly a letter home. He is using a block of wood as a makeshift writing desk. Behind him we can see a wall of sandbags and chicken wire. His helmet is lying on the ground in front of him. Scenes such as this were commonly used as propaganda, intended to boost morale amongst the troops and provide reassurance to those at home. The Battle of Messines Ridge was won by the British, and was commanded by General Plumer, who was later named Field Marshal Lord Plumer of Messines. [Original reads: 'GREAT BATTLE OF MESSINES RIDGE. Writing home.'] |
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
|
|