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Through The Lens: World War I Photography As Historical Record, Kimberly Holifield

SLIS Connecting

Soldiers of the First World War viewed their experience not only through the lens that surrounds a colored iris but also through the lens of a camera. World War I marked the first time that the camera traveled with amateurs to war. Unencumbered by the assortment of nineteenth-century equipment necessary to develop a single photograph, soldiers of the new century used the camera to capture their personal view of war (Carmichael, 1989). Their pictures tell a story of comradeship, the daily drudgeries of duty, and sacrifice. Words convey thoughts and emotions. A photograph captures them for display.