Photographers

Tom Aitken

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First World War 'Official Photographs' > Photographers > Tom Aitken > (65) N.498 - Air mechanics seeing that all's well before the Handley-Page sets out to bomb the Germans

(65) N.498 - Air mechanics seeing that all's well before the Handley-Page sets out to bomb the Germans
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Permanent URL	https://digital.nls.uk/74549110
Description	Handley-Page bomber wing, Western Front, World War I. This shows mechanics standing on the left wing of a Handley-Page bomber, checking the wing before take off. The left propeller and the nose of the plane can be seen beyond the wing. The wings on a Handley-Page folded back when not in service, but here the wings appear to be extended. This is one of several photographs of this aircraft attributed to Tom Aitken, which has the word 'stopped' in blue pencil on the back. It may have been censored. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON THE BRITISH WESTERN FRONT IN FRANCE. Air mechanics seeing that all's well before the Handley-Page sets out to bomb the Germans.']

Form / genre:	Images > Pictures > Photographs > Photographic prints
Dates / events:	1917-1918 [Probable date/event depicted] World War, 1914-1918 Campaigns Western Front [Date/event depicted]
Places:	Europe > France (nation) [Place created]
Subject / content:	Bombers Fixed-wing aircraft Mechanics (people) Black-and-white prints (photographs) Propaganda War photography Photojournalism
Person / organisation:	Great Britain. Royal Air Force [Depicted] Aitken, Thomas (Tom) Keith, 1879- [Photographer] Great Britain. Army [Depicted] Haig, Douglas Haig, Earl, 1861-1928 [Former owner]
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Tom Aitken
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Description	Tom Aitken was a newspaper photographer from Glasgow who was assigned in December 1917 as a war photographer along with David McLellan and Armando Consolé. McLellan's work also features in the National Library of Scotland’s Haig Papers. War photographers held a hybrid position during World War I, being part of yet not ultimately responsible to the military.

Dates / events:	1917-1918 [Probable date/event depicted]
Places:	Europe > France (nation) [Place created]
Person / organisation:	Aitken, Thomas (Tom) Keith, 1879- [Photographer] Great Britain. Army [Depicted]
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Photographers
Description	Photographs by named photographers.

First World War 'Official Photographs'
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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.
Shelfmark	Acc.3155

Form / genre:	Images > Pictures > Photographs > Photographic prints
Dates / events:	World War, 1914-1918 Campaigns Western Front [Date/event depicted]
Subject / content:	War photography Black-and-white prints (photographs) Photojournalism Propaganda
Person / organisation:	Haig, Douglas Haig, Earl, 1861-1928 [Former owner]
	To find similar items, select the checkboxes next to the characteristics you are interested in, then select the 'Find similar' button.