Imagine being in a plane 5000 feet in the sky, over the fields of the eastern front. German planes swoop around you, firing their small guns at your rickety aircraft. You click the button as the plane levels out and the camera takes two pictures. It's March of 1915, and the Great War is full fledged. For the first time in history, cameras are being taken high into the air to photograph the trenches and formations below. It's an exciting time for photography, the dawn of the camera's common use.
World War One was the first world war for many reasons, but arguably the most prominent is the use of all sorts of new war technologies. Of these, photography is one of the most interesting developments. The camera was invented in 1816, but early models required steady light and no movement, which made it very difficult to photograph wars. The Civil and Crimean wars had little photographic coverage due to the lack of demand and portability. By the time 1914 rolled around, the conditions were perfect for photography to become the widely used staple it is today.
Photography exploded in WWI, and was used for reporting, communication, and intelligence. The technology and applications for it changed throughout the war. Photography was in its infancy, and the uses in the conflict led to photojournalism standards held for years to come. World War One both affected and was affected by photography.
Photography was used for news and propaganda in WWI. Newspapers and magazines were starting to use photographs instead of drawings for their covers, and they needed feature photos to do so. Some sent out photographers to take pictures, and it was not uncommon for many photos to be posed or entirely faked. In 1915, the British government outlawed photography by reporters, and not long after that, soldiers were stopped from their picture taking as well. Soldier photography focused on a different side of the war, portraying its innecessity and the time between battles. After much pressure by various corporations and agencies, an official photography bureau was put into place by the British government. They appointed the very first war photographers, one of the more famous being Ernest Brooks. His job was to photograph the battle of the Somme, and he soon became head photographer on the western front. However, soldiers and photographers both experienced post traumatic stress disorder, and Brooks lost his medals and dignity in 1925 because his disorder was affecting his work. Pictures were not only used for news, they were also common for propaganda. Propaganda photos emphasized friendship and patriotism on the front lines but also focused on the negative side of the war. Many photos of civilians being wounded or fleeing were used to make the enemy seem brutal and cruel. In addition to official photography, there were illegal pictures being taken too. These pictures were often done by amateurs and soldiers, of the less violent parts of the war.
Many soldiers and civilians used photography as a medium for communication to loved ones and to remember the war. Even though non-sanctioned photography was outlawed in 1915, many amateurs continued their work. Unofficial photography of WWI is fascinating because it shows a side of the war that England didn't want the public to see. These photos range from simple scenes of life in the trenches to portraits of men who were never identified and never returned. Letter writing was very popular between soldiers and their families, and many soldiers sent photographs home. This movement was helped by the Vest Pocket Kodak, a camera smaller than a man's hand that was used by many novices. It was released in 1912, and competition made it and other cameras cheap and available to many. Censorship was also an issue for the government to regulate. Most soldier's photographs were less likely to be censored, but official and propaganda pictures were. Censorship followed three steps, first officers would look them over in the field, then send them to the propaganda office, where they were censored again before being distributed. After the war, photographs showed up in museums, scrapbooks, and on walls. Many photographers felt it was their duty to portray the war so that generations to come could remember it. Some historians believe that photographers tried to show the unnecessity of the war, others pointing out the brotherhood shown by some. Either way, it is clear that most photographers were influenced by this new type of war. A description of these photos described in a New York Times narrative is as follows, “Men duck in terror under a shrapnel burst on a French road. Infantrymen lie on their stomachs on a bridge near Ghent, aiming their rifles at an unseen enemy. Eyes, bright in grimy faces, greet the photographer with expressions that are hard to read.” People thousands of miles away saw war for the first time, and it changed the world. The Great War changed the opinion of war for many reasons, but the greater amount and accessibility of photographs helped the public see war.
Aerial photography was used to get intelligence on the enemy, from troop locations to changes in trench structure. War has an amazing power of technologically advancing civilizations to decades ahead of their time. Photography was not spared in this phenomenon, and the heightened need to win drove both sides to progress their air and photo technology. Very early in the war, strategy officials realized the advantage a bird’s eye view could give them. Planes were retrofitted with the highest quality cameras of their time, advancing camera stability, photo resolution, and shutter speed. Germans were rumored to have a camera able to spot footprints from 15,000 feet. The technology was not without its downfalls, however. A complicated developing process compromised many photographs and rudimentary communication only made matters worse. The air to ground transfer time often took longer than was worth, so other methods of dropping intelligence in bundles and even wireless telegraphs were attempted. Another fascinating breakthrough was stereoscopic imaging. When two photos were taken in different locations at the same time, they could be viewed with a special instrument in 3-D to find heavily camouflaged targets. This is how many machine guns and secret bunkers were located. Shadows of said targets could only be seen when two stereoscopic photos were stitched together, and intelligence officers were trained to spot these miniscule differences in light. However, the technology had few implications because it was so ahead of its time, and was used more widely in World War II.
World War One brought the start of modern photojournalism, in addition to many new innovations in photography. In WWI, photography was used for reporting, communication, and intelligence. Photography and the war affected each other in various ways. As Hilary Roberts, a WWI museum curator, says, "The answers in many respects informed the job photojournalists do today. The same debates still go on in context of a war zone – what may be different about conflicts now and the First World War is the question of whether the war itself is justified.”
World War One was the first world war for many reasons, but arguably the most prominent is the use of all sorts of new war technologies. Of these, photography is one of the most interesting developments. The camera was invented in 1816, but early models required steady light and no movement, which made it very difficult to photograph wars. The Civil and Crimean wars had little photographic coverage due to the lack of demand and portability. By the time 1914 rolled around, the conditions were perfect for photography to become the widely used staple it is today.
Photography exploded in WWI, and was used for reporting, communication, and intelligence. The technology and applications for it changed throughout the war. Photography was in its infancy, and the uses in the conflict led to photojournalism standards held for years to come. World War One both affected and was affected by photography.
Photography was used for news and propaganda in WWI. Newspapers and magazines were starting to use photographs instead of drawings for their covers, and they needed feature photos to do so. Some sent out photographers to take pictures, and it was not uncommon for many photos to be posed or entirely faked. In 1915, the British government outlawed photography by reporters, and not long after that, soldiers were stopped from their picture taking as well. Soldier photography focused on a different side of the war, portraying its innecessity and the time between battles. After much pressure by various corporations and agencies, an official photography bureau was put into place by the British government. They appointed the very first war photographers, one of the more famous being Ernest Brooks. His job was to photograph the battle of the Somme, and he soon became head photographer on the western front. However, soldiers and photographers both experienced post traumatic stress disorder, and Brooks lost his medals and dignity in 1925 because his disorder was affecting his work. Pictures were not only used for news, they were also common for propaganda. Propaganda photos emphasized friendship and patriotism on the front lines but also focused on the negative side of the war. Many photos of civilians being wounded or fleeing were used to make the enemy seem brutal and cruel. In addition to official photography, there were illegal pictures being taken too. These pictures were often done by amateurs and soldiers, of the less violent parts of the war.
Many soldiers and civilians used photography as a medium for communication to loved ones and to remember the war. Even though non-sanctioned photography was outlawed in 1915, many amateurs continued their work. Unofficial photography of WWI is fascinating because it shows a side of the war that England didn't want the public to see. These photos range from simple scenes of life in the trenches to portraits of men who were never identified and never returned. Letter writing was very popular between soldiers and their families, and many soldiers sent photographs home. This movement was helped by the Vest Pocket Kodak, a camera smaller than a man's hand that was used by many novices. It was released in 1912, and competition made it and other cameras cheap and available to many. Censorship was also an issue for the government to regulate. Most soldier's photographs were less likely to be censored, but official and propaganda pictures were. Censorship followed three steps, first officers would look them over in the field, then send them to the propaganda office, where they were censored again before being distributed. After the war, photographs showed up in museums, scrapbooks, and on walls. Many photographers felt it was their duty to portray the war so that generations to come could remember it. Some historians believe that photographers tried to show the unnecessity of the war, others pointing out the brotherhood shown by some. Either way, it is clear that most photographers were influenced by this new type of war. A description of these photos described in a New York Times narrative is as follows, “Men duck in terror under a shrapnel burst on a French road. Infantrymen lie on their stomachs on a bridge near Ghent, aiming their rifles at an unseen enemy. Eyes, bright in grimy faces, greet the photographer with expressions that are hard to read.” People thousands of miles away saw war for the first time, and it changed the world. The Great War changed the opinion of war for many reasons, but the greater amount and accessibility of photographs helped the public see war.
Aerial photography was used to get intelligence on the enemy, from troop locations to changes in trench structure. War has an amazing power of technologically advancing civilizations to decades ahead of their time. Photography was not spared in this phenomenon, and the heightened need to win drove both sides to progress their air and photo technology. Very early in the war, strategy officials realized the advantage a bird’s eye view could give them. Planes were retrofitted with the highest quality cameras of their time, advancing camera stability, photo resolution, and shutter speed. Germans were rumored to have a camera able to spot footprints from 15,000 feet. The technology was not without its downfalls, however. A complicated developing process compromised many photographs and rudimentary communication only made matters worse. The air to ground transfer time often took longer than was worth, so other methods of dropping intelligence in bundles and even wireless telegraphs were attempted. Another fascinating breakthrough was stereoscopic imaging. When two photos were taken in different locations at the same time, they could be viewed with a special instrument in 3-D to find heavily camouflaged targets. This is how many machine guns and secret bunkers were located. Shadows of said targets could only be seen when two stereoscopic photos were stitched together, and intelligence officers were trained to spot these miniscule differences in light. However, the technology had few implications because it was so ahead of its time, and was used more widely in World War II.
World War One brought the start of modern photojournalism, in addition to many new innovations in photography. In WWI, photography was used for reporting, communication, and intelligence. Photography and the war affected each other in various ways. As Hilary Roberts, a WWI museum curator, says, "The answers in many respects informed the job photojournalists do today. The same debates still go on in context of a war zone – what may be different about conflicts now and the First World War is the question of whether the war itself is justified.”