work of Fenton and Russell Flashcards
before the 18th century how did news about wars reach Britain?
very slowly
lack of a communication system
word would arrive weeks after the battle had finished and rumours and gossip often changed the story
what were reasons why the literacy rate in Britain increased?
church Sunday schools
charity schools for the poor
laws enforced factories to offer workers basic education
by 1850 how much of the British population were literate?
50%
what had an increased literacy rate led to?
greater demand for things to read
hence the rise in newspapers and novels
what act was passed in 1850?
the Public Libraries Act of 1850
what did the Public Libraries Act of 1850 achieve?
gave access to reading material to all Britons free of charge
led to the setting up of the first local libraries
what were the issues with wartime photography?
no action shots so did not show reality
subjects had to hold a pose for several seconds
what impact did wartime photograph on the British perception of war?
gave Britons an insight into what warfare was like
what improved the distribution of news?
railways
the telegraph
railways
Britains newly booming railway system allowed for newspapers to be rapidly distributed around the country and the Empire
telegraph
telegraph line between Crimea and Varna allowed for information/news to be passed quickly back to Britain
how long did it take for the Battle of Salamanca to be reported in Britain?
26 days
during the French wars, news was carried on horse wagons to the nearest port and then by ship to Britain
how long did it take for the Battle of Alma to be reported in Britain?
a week
the telegraph had massively improved communication
who encouraged Roger Fenton to go to Crimea?
Prince Albert, Vicky’s husband
why did Albert send Fenton to be a photographer in Crimea?
he hoped his pictures would change the negative perception about the war being created by the British press
why did Fenton choose to photograph officers?
they were the richest of the men in Crimea so were the only ones who had families who could order the photographs —> he wanted to make money
he also needed the support of the officers to pull his carriage around
therefore did not show the experiences of the regular infantry
why did Fenton have to use posed, motionless pictures of people?
any kind of action shot would have resulted in a blur
major limitation of photography at the time as it did not show the realities of war
why did Fenton not take pictures of the injured and dead?
no one would have bought these images
Fenton was trying to make money off of the families of officers —> they would not buy images of the dead
what was significant about the timing of Fenton’s arrival in Crimea?
he arrived in March 1855 and left in June 1855
so had missed:
- Alma
- Balaclava
- Inkerman
- the winter of 1854-55
and after he left
- Sevastopol
so he had no exposure to the brutal fighting, failures of the BA and the horrendous conditions during the winter
how did Fenton’s photographs deceive Britons at home?
a photo he took shows officers well provided with winter clothing
BUT this image was taken in April 1855 when the winter had passed
showed the poor supply system in place in Crimea
but the civilians would not have inferred this and were led to believe that supplies were there
for how long were Fenton’s photgraphs exhibited in Britain?
8 months
how had the exhibitions changed the perception of war?
pre-Crimea, most views of war were formed through idealistic and glorious paintings which romanticised warfare
Fenton’s work was a stark contrast which showed the reality and dullness of war
it also showed Britons what the land in Crimea was like
——> BARREN
what was Fenton’s most famous photograph?
The Valley of the Shadow of Death
what impact did ‘The Valley of the Shadow of Death’ have on the public?
led to a wave of empathy for the British troops in Crimea
showed the conditions of war
probably only realistic aspect of his photography
