Photographers > Ernest Brooks
(3) C.1008 - Highlanders working on the roads
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| First World War 'Official Photographs' > Photographers > Ernest Brooks > (3) C.1008 - Highlanders working on the roads |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74546548 |
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| Description | Highlanders working on a road in France. They are all in kilts and most of them are wearing balmorals. Some of the men appear to be wearing a cover or 'apron' to protect their kilt. The road they are working on is extremely muddy and bordered on either side by banks of loose earth. There are sections of tree trunk, placed in the ground, lining the right hand side of the road. Most of the men are working with shovels. On the left there is a man on a horse, possibly supervising the work. Throughout the war roads were often blown up or simply disappeared under a sea of mud. It was therefore vital that they were repaired or rebuilt quickly to prevent hindering communication or progress. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THE FRONT IN FRANCE. Highlanders working on the roads.'] |
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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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