Photographers > Ernest Brooks
(355) C.890 - Soldiers pulling a big gun
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| First World War 'Official Photographs' > Photographers > Ernest Brooks > (355) C.890 - Soldiers pulling a big gun |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74546792 |
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| Description | A large group of soldiers attempting to pull a big gun, possibly a field gun, on to a wooden platform. This photograph illustrates how problematic moving a big gun could be, even with the numbers involved here they are still having difficulty. They are using thick ropes placed round the wheels of the gun to manoeuvre it. It is very possible that this photograph was taken in a ruined village. There is a great deal of debris scattered across the ground and, apart from two ruins in the background, little or nothing remains standing. Unlike the majority of photographs in this collection, this one is uncaptioned. However, we do know that it was taken by Ernest Brooks, the first British official war photographer to be sent to the Western Front during World War I. In 1916, Brooks was sent to the Front with a remit to take as many photographs, with as much variety as possible. The work of official photographers during the war was placed under strict censorship by the Government and Military, who wanted to control how the war was perceived. [Original reads: No original caption.] |
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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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