117

A selection of approximately 22 press photographs from WWI. 1914-18.

Silver press prints
A rare and compelling group including images from front lines, soldiers in gas masks, soldiers recovering from injuries, and more, by photographers who were able to capture imagery from the front for the first time. Showing the rapid advancement of modern warfare, including machine guns, airplanes, tanks, flamethrowers, and poisonous gas. With a combination of captions in the negative, and press stamps and date stamps, captions, press labels, and/or notations on verso.
The images 7 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. (19.7 x 24.8 cm.) to 4 3/4 x 7 1/2 in. (12.1 x 19.1 cm.)

  • Provenance:
    The News Photography Collection of Jo Tartt, Jr.
  • Notes:
    By the start of World War I, smaller cameras let professional photographers make images quickly under challenging conditions. Speaking to The New York Times, Hilary Roberts (the photography curator at the Imperial War Museums in London and a co-author of The Great War: A Photographic Narrative) said, "The First World War is the conflict in which the concept of documentary truth first evolved." Though independent photographers were not allowed at the front lines, authorities appointed official photographers, most of whom had worked for newspapers before joining the military. Questions about the photographer's role in reporting and were addressed for the first time, setting the stage for the photo journalist profession for the rest of the century.
  • Condition: For condition reports, email Deborah Rogal at [email protected]

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February 12, 2026 12:00 PM EST
New York, NY, US

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