The Passion of Former Days: January 2013

30 January, 2013

World War One in the Snow

As if the trenches of World War One weren't bad enough the rest of the year, there was winter to contend with. Soldiers were constantly out in the snow, ice, and generally damp conditions, with little to no extra clothing. Very few British soldiers were even allocated gloves. Though official World War One photographs such as these were generally intended to present the front in the best possible light, there really isn't any way to gloss over this kind of cold misery.

From the National Library of Scotland.

National Library of Scotland

Soldiers in a trench "where bombs take the place of snowballs", as the original caption puts it. Source

National Library of Scotland

Soldiers crossing an icy ditch on the way to the trenches. Source

National Library of Scotland

A working party spattered with snow. Source

National Library of Scotland

Loading a trench mortar in a front-line trench. Source

National Library of Scotland

Two soldiers carrying a log for their camp fire. Source

National Library of Scotland

An anti-aircraft gun and crew amidst ruins. Source

National Library of Scotland

Infantry marching in the snow. Source

National Library of Scotland

South African officers having lunch. Source

National Library of Scotland

Two South African soldiers (one in a kilt) sharing a match. Source

National Library of Scotland

A trench mortar crew. Source

National Library of Scotland

Exhausted soldiers resting on their way to the trenches. Source

National Library of Scotland

A soldier collecting snow to melt for water, after the local water supply was poisoned by retreating German forces. Source

National Library of Scotland

Officers on the roof of their dugout. Source

National Library of Scotland

Transport carts hauling guns to the front line. Source

National Library of Scotland

Gunner carrying charges to the front. Source

National Library of Scotland

Soldiers filling a water cart. Source

National Library of Scotland

"The man on the right remembers this place of barbed wire entanglement when he had to get through it in the early days of the Somme Battle at Ovilliers" (original caption). Source

National Library of Scotland

Soldiers and ambulances on their way to the trenches. Source

28 January, 2013

Daguerreotype Views

Though daguerreotypes were hugely popular for portraits that was hardly the limit of the medium. Photographic outdoors certainly brought challenges--things moved in long exposures, a lot of equipment had to be carried around, and not all colour wavelengths translated onto the plate equally--but, then as now, people wanted pictures of things. Today a selection of daguerreotypes focused not on people, but on places.

You can see many more (which I can't share here) in the online galleries of the Daguerrian Society.

Library of Congress

Niagara Falls, [1853-60], created by the studio of Matthew Brady. (Note: daguerreotypes, being direct positives, reverse the scene left to right, like a mirror). Source

Library of Congress

The Entrance to Independence Square, Philadelphia [1840-1856]. Source

Library of Congress

Portsmouth Square, San Francisco [before 1851]. Source

National Library of Wales

Margam Castle, Wales, 1841, by Rev. Calvert Richard Jones. Source

Library of Congress

The United States Patent Office, Washington DC, [c. 1846], taken by John Plumbe. Source

Library of Congress

A stereoscopic daguerreotype (yes, these existed!) of the Crystal Palace, London [1851-1860]. Source

Victoria and Albert Museum

Hoddy and John Munro Fishing at Flaipool, Scotland, 1847, by Horatio Ross. Note: the blue sky in this and some of the others isn't a result of the daguerreotype recording blue; it's the result of a later chemical reaction called solarization. Source

Library of Congress

The steamship Ben Campbell at a landing, [1852-1860]. Note: As you no doubt have noticed, daguerreotypes aren't exactly black and white--this image is a black and white photograph of the daguerreotype (see also parts of the frame, which are really gold). Contrasting the various ways of reproducing daguerreotypes seen in this post alone could be a study in itself!. Source

Library of Congress

The General Post Office in Washington DC [c. 1846] by John Plumbe (note solarization in the sky). Source

Library of Congress

A daguerreotype news photograph: a man (Joseph Avery) trapped on logs in the rapid current of the Niagara River. His boat had capsized; the two men with him were carried over the Falls and killed. Avery could not be rescued due to the current, and hung onto the log for eighteen hours before falling into the river. 1853. Source

Library of Congress

A house in Cambridge, New York [1840-1860]. Source

Victoria and Albert Museum

A very early daguerreotype of London. Parliament Street from Trafalgar Square, 1839 (the first year of the daguerreotype), photographed by M. de Ste. Croix. Source