DRAMATIC pictures by a Scottish photographer which brought the reality of war into public view for the first time are to go on display in Edinburgh.
Roger Fenton set sail in 1855 to document the Crimean War, taking with him 36 chests full of cameras, glass plates and a darkroom converted from a wine merchant’s van. He subsequently became the first person to to document conflict, at a time when photography was still in its infancy.
An exhibition entitled Shadows Of War: Roger Fenton’s Photographs Of The Crimea, 1855, will open at the Queen’s Gallery at Holyroodhouse today. In the accompanying guide contributions are made by Prince Harry, photojournalist Don McCullin and curator Sophie Gordon.
Prince Harry says in the guide: “There has always been a fascination about people returning from war, what they’ve been through and what they’ve seen. The psychological impact of being on the battlefield is something that servicemen and women have had to deal with, but have often found it hard to talk about.
“As a result of photographers like Roger Fenton and those who have followed him, the public have gained a better appreciation of these experiences and, consequently, over the years, this fascination has turned to appreciation and respect.”
Fenton was a leading 19th-century photographer and was commissioned by art dealer and publisher Thomas Agnew & Sons to photograph the officers and other people of interest during the Crimean conflict.
Reproduction of the painting in newspapers and exhibitions of Fenton’s photographs raised awareness of the conditions endured by soldiers at a time when the wounded began to arrive home.
The images are drawn entirely from the Royal Collection, being shown in Scotland for the first time since 1856.
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