Ernest brooks

1878-(date of death unknown, but since he was born 131 years ago,

we’re pretty sure he’s dead)

background

• Born in England in 1878• His first photography job was for the daily

mirror newspaper.• He was the official world war one

photographer for England from 1914-1918• He took thousands of pictures of world war

one• He is credited for approximately ten

percent of the official photos from the war

British Mark I male tank, Somme 25 September 1916

• This is one of the earliest pictures of a tank on the battlefield

• This photo was taken between battles, while the troops had some down time to gawk at their newest war machine

Toffee apple bombs 1916

• This is a picture of several army personnel playing cards on a huge pile of artillery shells

• LIVE artillery shells!!!

HMS Cornwallis broadside, Suvla, December 1915

• This is a picture of a battleship just after firing all of it’s main guns at nearby land based targets

• Brooks took this picture from a small boat nearby

Hawthorn ridge mine #1, July 1916

• Here, brooks captures the explosion of a huge underground mine

• Brooks would sometimes use staged photos, but never of battle.

• Obviously, this photograph was not staged

British wounded, Somme, 19 July, 1916

• This somewhat famous picture shows wounded soldiers walking away from the battle, towards the aid centers further to the rear

• Of all his photos that I have seen, this one is my favorite because it is pointing towards the ongoing battle, and you can see some of the British trenches near the back

references

• Bourne, J.M. (2001). Who's who in World War One. Routledge

• Carmichael, Jane (1989). First World War photographers. Routledge

• Ghosts on the Somme: New Techniques in the Analysis of Documentary Film, Fraser