photojournalism

Italian Street Musicians

From 'Street Life in London', 1877, by John Thomson and Adolphe Smith:.. Then there is something irresistible in the bright glitter of his eyes, in. his cheerful gait, and his fascinating manners; While English... More

King & Queen and H.R.H. The Prince of Wales

King George V, Queen Mary and H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, taken during a visit to the Western Front in France. They are positioned in front of a large brick building with French windows. The King and Queen are ... More

"Home of an Italian Ragpicker"

Riis, Jacob .Portrett, kvinne med baby. "Home of an Italian Ragpicker", Jersy Street, New York. Fra publikasjon: Photographer and Citizen, Alland 1974.Positivkopi gelatin, barytt.12,0x15,5 cm.NMFF.002175

The Prime Minister welcoming Lady Islington to New Zealand, Wellington

[News photographers photographing Paulina Longworth, daughter of Nick ...

"Copyrighted and non-copyrighted prints must be credited National Photo" National Photo Company Collection.

Men of the K.O.Y.L.I. playing cards, Flanders

Soldiers are playing a relaxing game of cards. Positioned in a circle round the cards, they are stretched out on the ground. A small pile of money has been placed in the middle. One soldier looks over his shoul... More

All that is left of a road in the Lens area

Soldiers is walking along a roadway beside the ruins of a fairly large village or town, identified in the original caption as being near Lens. Lens, which was occupied by the Germans for much of the war, was in... More

Diving competition

A man jumping off a makeshift diving board into a river. This diving event is part of a larger swimming competition, organised by the Cavalry. On the opposite river bank there are a number of spectators, both s... More

Dragons ready for the dragon fight

Troops watching Chinese dragon ceremonies, Western Front, France, during World War I. This shows some members of the Chinese Labour Corps carrying two huge paper dragons with large decorated heads and long snak... More

Captured Boche plane on its way to one of our aviation depots

Six uniformed men in overcoats sit on the edge of a trailer. Strapped to the trailer is a captured German aeroplane, painted with the number '8'. The wings have either been detached for transporting or damaged ... More

Free coffee and biscuits any time day or night, Flanders

Soldiers standing by a roadside. They are outside a makeshift coffee stall, and most of the men in the photograph are drinking out of metal cups. The group also includes three men sitting on their horses. Anoth... More

French and British transport, Flanders

French and British transport units pass each other on a crowded road. The French, easily identified by their paler uniforms and ridged steel helmets, are on the left. On the right, a British transport cart is b... More

Australians resting on their way to the front line

Soldiers lying toe-to-toe into the ditch beside a road. There are still vehicles driving up and down the road. The soldiers are all still wearing their equipment. Most of them look relaxed but no-one is smiling... More

Fine cut by a Maori, New Zealand

A Maori lumberman stands next to a newly felled tree. He is posing for the camera with his axe resting on the tree stump. In this snow-covered woodland, the only protection he has against the cold is a woollen ... More

Fixing the cover for the engine, Flanders

Soldiers working on the framework of a roof to cover a steam traction engine, which is used in an open-air sawmill. Though the photographs original caption does not say what this cover is for, it could be eithe... More

French armoured car supporting our men in a combined attack

This photograph shows a French armoured car in a road. The French gunner is in position, while his companion is on the watch for enemy movement. Two other French soldiers stand behind the car and a group of Bri... More

British tanks going forward to check the German advance, Flanders

The advantages of caterpillar tracks on tanks can be clearly seen here. These four tanks are travelling through a churned up and boggy mess with relative ease. The soldiers travelling on them also look relaxed.... More

Bringing in wounded Canadians on a truck from the battle of Courcelett...

Wounded Canadians returning from the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, France, 1916. Seven soldiers surround a hand-pushed platform which runs on railway lines. A wounded soldier is balanced on the front and appears... More

Captured German front line trench before Gommecourt, Flanders

A captured German front-line trench, with a complex system of dugouts and pathways. The walls of the trench are reinforced with posts, wooden planks and interwoven branches. The surrounding landscape is bleak a... More

Distant view of Mametz showing battered German trenches in foreground

German trenches near Mametz, France, during World War I. The picture is dominated by a snaking trench and its surrounding barricades. The trench is a scene of chaos. In the distance the rest of the battlefield ... More

Convalescent British soldiers in France having a rest in a recreation ...

This photograph shows a lot of convalescent soldiers sitting at long tables which extend the length of the recreation hut. They are reading and writing letters. There have been attempts, presumably by the Red C... More

H.M. presenting decorations

King George V pinning a decoration to the jacket of a uniformed man. They are standing outside a building on a gravel drive. The decorations have been placed on a small table to the left of the King. One man is... More

Gunners round a captured German gun, Flanders

Gunners sitting behind a captured big gun. They are all aware of the photographer, most likely John Warwick Brooke, and are looking towards him. The men are in uniform and most are wearing steel helmets. Often ... More

General view of Montauban, Flanders

It is unclear whether this is actually Montauban itself, or whether the sign which states 'Montauban' is merely indicating that the village is close by. The road seen here is bordered by grass verges littered w... More

Snap at a seaside resort

British soldier building sandcastles with a little boy, in France, during World War I. This shows a 'Tommy' playing at building sandcastles with a little boy on a beach in northern France. The boy is dressed in... More

Heavy armoured cars ready to go up 15/9/16

Four tanks and their crews. Judging by the collection of fuel cans, holes in the ground, shovels, canvas sheets and the tent, it would appear that this is a tank camp. The combination of heat and fumes meant th... More

Cavalry patrol

A cavalryman sitting on his horse on a ridge. Man and horse are black, outlined against a cloudy sky. This photograph is symbolic of the last days of the use of cavalry in European warfare. Trench warfare and t... More

Cavalry patrols advancing over open country near Mory

Cavalry advancing briskly over very flat countryside. Each man holds the reins in his left hand keeping his right hand free for his lance. Cavalry patrols could cover the ground quickly, but each horse presente... More

Active service stable

A rather primitive form of outdoor stable with a soldier grooming a horse. With no stable roof to protect the horses from adverse weather, it is likely that the horses were not in a good physical state, as illu... More

Few kilometres behind our line, Flanders

A convoy of soldiers and horse-drawn carts moving through a ruined French town or village. The surrounding scene is one of devastation. The ground is muddy and strewn with debris. The church in the background h... More

Scene at a big gun park, Flanders

A number of big guns 'parked' on a wooden platform in the middle of a field. A group of men are inspecting them. In the corner of the field there are more guns, covered with tarpaulins. The surrounding countrys... More

View of Gommecourt Chateau, Flanders

All that remains of Gommecourt Chteau. The top of an archway or window is barely visible on the left, and a small section of the outer wall remains standing. The rest of the chteau has been completely destroyed... More

British advance in the west, Flanders

soldiers stand next to a large gun, on an extremely muddy road. A vehicle, possibly for pulling the gun, stands just off to the right. The scene also includes a few men on bicycles in the foreground, and a lon... More

Athie Church partially destroyed by the Huns, Flanders

Athie Church after it had been bombed or shelled. All that appears to be left of the roof are the rafters. There is a large pile of rubble at the entrance to the church. Daylight can be seen through the door su... More

H.M. walking through Peronne

King George V and his entourage walking through a street in Peronne, France. The King is walking at the front of the group, with a uniformed man on either side. All of the men, including the King, are in unifor... More

I would like to borrow your coat old chap, Flanders

Two soldiers, one wearing a huge fur jacket, during World War I. This ray of humour and friendship in an otherwise bleak and depressing landscape is unfortunately unatrributable to any one war photographer. The... More

H.M. watching a trench mortar bombardment

King George V and his entourage watching a trench mortar bombardment. They are all in uniform and are standing with their backs to the camera. The King is most likely the figure standing in front, furthest from... More

More 'pills' for the Boche, Flanders

Two uniformed men inspect a stockpile of shells. The shells are stacked in large bundles and cradled in large strips of corrugated iron. In the background a number of dugouts or stores are visible, the entrance... More

Laying a light railway on which logs will be brought to the mill

Soldiers constructing a light railway line for transporting logs to a sawmill. In the background a soldier can be seen pushing a wagon to test out the new track. This photograph, probably taken by John Warwick ... More

Member of the first Aid nursing Yeomanry oiling her car

A young woman in a coat or overall and with her hair hidden by a scarf, is refilling oil in her car engine. The car was made by D. Napier and son, the leading British manufacturer before the war. In 1905, Napie... More

Messenger dogs with their keepers going across country up to the front...

Messenger dogs and their handlers marching to the Front, in France, during World War I. Straining at the leash, these messenger dogs and their keepers are apparently on their way to the front line trenches. In ... More

Georges Clemenceau and General Sir H. Rawlinson walking through the ma...

French President, Georges Clemenceau, and General Sir Henry Rawlinson, France. Three rows of troops are lined up for inspection beside a row of blown out and collapsed houses. In front of them walk a line of of... More

Balmorals entertainment troupe of a Scottish division, Flanders

Five men, dressed in clown costumes, are standing in a half circle around a chair. There is another man sitting on the chair this time in a dress and high-healed shoes. They are in a fenced enclosure in what ap... More

Aerial photograph, Lombartzyde, Belgium, 1917

This is a copy of an aerial photograph. The annotations show that it covers the area of marshy coastland near the Belgian village of Lombartzyde. The numbers below the north arrow identify the flight and give t... More

All is quiet on our front

Wooden duckboards snake across a field behind a sandbag and barbed wire wall. The entrance to a dugout is just visible on the edge of the photo. Groups of soldiers are standing in the outcrops with aimed rifles... More

Although the Germans shell this area every day it does not dissuade th...

French farmer ploughing, Western Front, Spring 1918. This photograph is an evocative symbol of hope. Framed in the doorway of a ruined building, a British soldier is watching a French farmer as he breaks up a ... More

Wash and brush up in the swamps of the Somme

Soldiers have been photographed washing at the edge of a flooded field or marsh in the Somme. The mud up to the thighs on their trousers shows how wet the conditions were in the trenches. These men are cheerful... More

Prince of Wales inspecting a battalion in France

This image shows the Prince of Wales taking part in the inspection of a battalion. The troops behind him are all standing to attention, with their rifles propped over their left shoulders. Although there to ins... More

Portuguese entering a gas trench

At the bottom right corner of the photograph is the entrance to a trench. It doesn't look very deep and is supported by sandbags up its sides. The background is dominated by the side of a steep hill. This is gr... More

Artillerymen carrying shells to the gun through the snow, Flanders

Despite the appalling weather conditions, the job of carrying artillery shells to feed the hungry guns continued apace. The only positive factor about adverse weather conditions such as this were that they ofte... More

Natives of Manipur are greatly interested in the workings of a motor

A motorcar is parked to the left of the picture and is sitting with both sides of its bonnet open. There is a British soldier in the car, busy with the controls. Two Manipur soldiers are kneeling in front of th... More

Fixing fuses on Stokes Mortars, Flanders

Eight men, watched by an officer, are setting fuses into Stokes mortar bombs. The man in the centre of the group is displaying one of the mortar bombs and a crate open at his feet is packed with three more. Cra... More

Plucky sisters on British ambulance train in France who are near enoug...

This photograph has a rather formal and stilted feel to it. The women dont seem relaxed and their positions do not look natural. It was most likely that this photograph was taken with a propaganda purpose in mi... More

Never ending flow of duck-boards which help to make the going easy ove...

Soldiers walking across a duckboard path, through a relatively un-muddy field. They are all carrying panels of duckboard, probably to lay another path or extend the one they are on. All the soldiers are wearing... More

Once a Boche O.P. in a tree, Flanders

There are soldiers' heads and helmets in the bottom right corner which gives the image scale. Above their heads is a mud banking which is covered in twigs and trunks. It is a bit of a jumbled mess. Towering ove... More

Cavalry moving forward

Group of cavalrymen, France, during World War I. This image shows a number of cavalrymen travelling in single file. They are winding their way across a flat expanse of grass-covered land, with little or no trac... More

Built up communication trench running to front line, Flanders

Communications trench above ground, Western Front. In some places, as this photograph shows, it was not possible to dig trenches, either because the ground was too waterlogged, or because the underlying rock wa... More

Funeral of Mr. Basset, distinguished dramatist and war correspondent, ...

Funeral of Monsieur Basset, playwright and journalist, on the Western Front, June or July 1917. On the way to the cemetery. A row of six horses, walking in pairs, with soldiers riding the three nearest to the ... More

Waiting to receive Lt. General Pershing Chief of American Expeditionar...

Admiral Ronarc'h of the French Navy awaiting the arrival of Lieutenant General Pershing. Behind the Admiral a small brass band waits patiently, ready to welcome the Chief of the American Expeditionary Force. Th... More

Two little girls that only just escaped death by a few yards

A soldier walking along a road with two little girls. He is holding their hands in a protective manner. Both of the girls have been given steel helmets to wear. They are both looking into the camera. The soldie... More

Bringing a field gun into action alongside a ruined cottage

An artillery team are pulling a field gun out of a yard beside a ruined brick-built cottage. The gun has been painted with mottled camouflage. Military use of camouflage developed during World War I. The French... More

Building an extension to their workshops, Flanders

Group of female carpenters. According to the existing caption, they are building an extension to a workshop. They are in the process of building the frame and are surrounded by planks of wood. A number of the w... More

Bell in a German trench near Grande Bois, Flanders

There is a large engraved bell lying on its side, surrounded by the wooden structure that once supported it. It is decorated with classical figures and some text, which unfortunately is not legible in this phot... More

Captured German dugout, Flanders

A huge mound of earth and branches held up by supporting stakes. There is a gap in the centre of the mound which is roofed over with pieces of corrugated scrap. In this space three dwarfed soldiers are visible.... More

Officer writing home, Flanders

Sitting on some sandbags and surrounded by scattered debris, this officer is writing a letter home. He is wearing puttees (protective leggings) over his lower legs...Mail to and from home was strictly censored ... More

Ration party coming out of a communication trench, having distributed ...

This image was most likely taken by the British official photographer, John Warwick Brooke. It shows a ration party moving through a communication trench in single file. Some of the men are carrying trays of su... More

Road making, Flanders

This image is one of many in this collection which illustrate bombed-out roads during the war. It seems to be a fairly typical scene - a churned up mire, due to the weather conditions, and smashed up surroundin... More

Refugees on the road back

This photograph shows a long line of refugees extending far back along the road to the left. They are accompanied by French troops. There are few men among the civilians. In German-occupied areas some men were ... More

Lewis gun's crew ready in the front line during an actual gas attack

This photograph was taken at ground level from a bend in a trench. The trench itself is shallow and quite wide. It is also free from wet mud at the moment. The top of a line of trees further down the hill can b... More

Locomotive abandoned in front of Thiepval

This photograph is from a French postcard printed in Paris. It shows the ruined village of Thiepval, in the northern Somme area. Two soldiers, possibly French, are looking at an abandoned engine which may have ... More

Part of the church at Bethune

British soldier surveying the ruined church at Bethune, France, during World War I. Standing underneath a doorway, this lone British soldier looks upon the devastation wrought on the church at Bethune, in Picar... More

Anti-aircraft gun in action in the ruins, Flanders

Soldiers appear to have installed an anti-aircraft gun in position beside a large, ruined building. The gun, which is set on an angled mounting, is installed on a flatbed lorry chassis. There are blocks on the ... More

Y.M.C.A. car full of beauty, Flanders

Four women are sitting in a vintage car with another woman sitting behind the wheel. The women are all well dressed with jackets and hats and are looking at the camera. They seem relaxed but only three of them ... More

Grande Place in Bethune showing the clock tower in the foreground and ...

Bethune town centre with its clock tower and shell-damaged buildings, France, during World War I. The shell damage that was caused to the Picardie town of Bethune, during the fighting that took place as part of... More

German dead in a captured trench

Dead German soldier, during World War I. The trench is vividly portrayed in the front of this photograph with no-man's land in the distance. The trench is a scene of chaos and debris. In the middle of the pictu... More

Germans destroy the beautiful Chatrau [sic] of Caulincourt and blew it...

Unblocking the Somme. On the left of the picture is the raised, man-made wall of the river with soldiers standing on top. The river cuts across the image with two soldiers standing in it. The men are dwarfed by... More

Front view of a tank coming out of action, Flanders

Front of a tank. According to the photograph's original caption it is returning from a battle. The caterpillar tracks are caked in mud from the battlefield. There are two viewing holes at the front of the tank ... More

Gunner writing a letter home, Flanders

A man sits on some rough wooden planks, next to a pile of sandbags, and smokes a pipe as he concentrates on writing. In the background another man, also busy writing, has noticed the photographer and pauses to ... More

King of Belgium crossing No Man's Land in the newly captured territory

King Albert crossing no man's land, during World War I. King Albert is standing on a duckboard bridge across a very deep ditch while another man is starting to follow behind him. The field around him is very hi... More

Railway trucks under which a communication trench is dug, Flanders

Communications trench, Western Front, during World War I. A well-constructed communications trench. It has been dug to a depth of around two metres and the sides lined with horizontal poles, which are held in p... More

Tommies attacking the wall of a house blown up by the Germans in their...

A small team of men attack a badly damaged brick wall with pickaxes. According to the original caption, they are knocking the wall down because it is unsafe. In many cases, however, this was done to provide mat... More

Two big dug-outs in the snow, Flanders

Given their relative size, the two above-ground dugouts in this photograph would have been located somewhere behind the front line. The two protruding items at the end of each dugout look like chimneys. ..Stric... More

Two joking soldiers closely inspecting a container, Flanders

Two soldiers, standing on whalebone-like sheets of corrugated iron, inspecting a container that previously held alcohol. The second image in a pair, the first photograph shows the soldier on the right drinking ... More

R.E. diver descending to the bottom of a Canal in France to repair the...

This image shows a diver climbing down a ladder into the water. He is wearing a heavy diving suit with the air supply controlled through two large hoses which are being held by a soldier standing on the jetty. ... More

Signal station - using daylight lamp, Flanders

Signal station using a daylight lamp to send messages, during World War I. The signal station shown in this photograph would probably have used an encrypted form of Morse code to transmit messages. The soldier ... More

Cross roads blown up by the Germans near Tincourt, Flanders

A large water-filled crater where, according to the existing caption, there was once a crossroads. Next to the crater a group of soldiers stand and look at the devastation caused...Scenes such as this were comm... More

Kitchens in a trench, Flanders

This image of a soldier cooking at a stove while standing in a trench might seem rather unusual, but this trench would certainly not be in the immediate front line as the smoke from such a stove would have attr... More

Huge bell in a German support trench, Flanders

Church bell in a German trench, Messines Ridge, Belgium, 1917. The image is dominated by and intricately carved and inscribed church bell. The bell is lying in the bottom of a muddy trench. The trench is a scen... More

R.H.A. going into action at the gallop

This photograph shows gun teams of the Royal Horse Artillery going into action. The field gun is pulled by a team of three pairs of horses, with one rider to each pair. An officer rides in front. Another team a... More

H.M. watching the Australian sports

King George V is standing in the foreground, watching as soldiers take part in a sports day event. The men taking part are in full uniform and are carrying full packs. The exercise shown here is possibly part o... More

Artillery stripped trees and a signboard pointing the way for pack tra...

The photographer has managed to produce, with careful use of composition and light, this startling and memorable image. The otherworldliness of this ravaged landscape, shrouded in clouds of dust or smoke, leave... More

Three of the funny men who greatly amuse the men from the trenches

Three actors are posing at the front of the composition and looking into the camera. The character on the left has a painted face. The gentleman in the middle is wearing 'civvies' and his companion on the right... More

Temporary bridge over the Somme built by our troops, Flanders

A temporary bridge built over the River Somme. Using wooden planks and a fairly complex system of ropes, the soldiers have managed to build a sturdy bridge. A group of soldiers, fully armed and equipped, are mo... More

Tommy inspecting the grave of one of our fallen heroes

A British soldier kneeling next to a grave. The grave is marked by a small white cross adorned with flowers. The name on the cross is 'KNOWLES.' After the war, each country established its own War Graves Commis... More

Canadian Corps heavy artillery in action

A Canadian field gun crew bombarding enemy lines. The force of the explosion as the shells are fired is indicated by the cloud of dust surrounding the guns and the recoiling posture of two of the gunners. The s... More

Canaries who live aboard Ambulance Train to cheer wounded with song

Two nurses and their canaries posed by their train, France, during World War I. This photograph was taken at an angle down the side of the train. As a result the image is dominated by overpowering dark metal-sh... More

Building a road to their camp, Flanders

According to the original caption these men are building a road. On the right of the photograph, a group of men are breaking up rocks using pickaxes. The rocks are then being loaded onto carts. Most of the men ... More

Australians off up to the trenches

Troops marching along a muddy road in France, during World War I. According to the existing caption they are Australian. They are all heavily laden with arms and equipment. Some of the men have noticed the came... More

Women at Boulogne station, France, probably December 1918

Women, accompanied by French and British officers, waiting at a gateway on the station platform at Boulogne. Most of the women are in uniform but two, standing slightly apart from the others and clearly accompa... More

Signaller with his instruments makes himself a comfortable seat in an ...

This photograph shows a signaller using an old wooden tub as a seat. Beside him, he has his field telephone, the wire of which can just be seen. At the beginning of the war, the wires were laid on the surface, ... More