Images of the Great War

Reviews and commentary on books, films, etc.
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selewis
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Last Name: Lewis

Scroll down the page to find "Images of the Great War" and click to launch gallery. A fair number of photos of cavalry:

http://www.nationalreview.com/
Todd
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selewis wrote:Scroll down the page to find "Images of the Great War" and click to launch gallery. A fair number of photos of cavalry:

http://www.nationalreview.com/
Interesting collection - brings to mind a classification of WW1 photography that isn't well represented. Specifically, images of US battlefield dead.

These images were apparently purged and avoided by the US side, Signal Corps and whomever else was shooting photos - this was an active censorship policy. I've managed to acquire ONE (1) image, a German-issued real photo postcard, showing US dead from the very first days of the Meuse-Argonne battle.

Has anyone else run into any images of this class anywhere ?
browerpatch
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When we were sorting through my grandmother's belongings after she died in the early 1970's, we came across a locked wooden box. Fortunately the key was tied to the handle with a string, and when we opened it, we found a collection of anti-war literature from WW1. A lot of graphic photos of battlefield dead, wounded soldiers, appalling imagery. Easily some of the most disturbing stuff I'd seen at the tender age of 13. It included postcard type photos and pamplets. I looked through it, and it seemed mostly aimed at keeping the US out of the "Great War".

One image that stands out in my memory was of a hand, lying palm upward in the mud, the wrist emerging from the lower portion of a sleeve, and the shattered bones and flesh of the forearm protruding from the shredded cloth, with the caption, from the Rubaiyat:

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.

As I remember, there was only a little that was printed in 1917 or 1918, but a surprising amount from the early 20's. The later items included photos of American dead. My father put it all back in the box, and put it in his closet. After he died, I found the box, with the key, but the content were gone. I asked my mother about it, and she told me they had burned it.

Frank
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The Great War (BBC 1964)

Just finished watching the 26 episode series of World War I broadcast by the BBC in 1964. Each episode runs for 40 minutes. Excellent historical films, still photos, narrations, and comments by veterans. I was surprised how young (middle aged) the veterans looked but then I remembered the film was made in 1964. The first 4 or 5 episodes have excellent film clips of cavalry operations but after that the majority of military horse pictures were of artillery or mounted officers on parade. Covered all theaters of operations in great detail.

You can find it on You Tube at the link below or search for snapey82 or search by The Great War (BBC 1964) and episode number.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxK-qR14 ... l-_QfxFj9B
selewis
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Thanks. There is another long series on WWI produced by the BBC which ran on one of the history channel affiliates a while back. It had a haunting, almost frightening, music score by Colin Davis, which is the series I thought you were referring to but this is different. When I get a new computer I'll bring it up.
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