Roger Fenton (1819-1869) is credited with being the first war photographer. That war was the Crimean War of 1853-56, a conflict described by the historian Eric Hobsbawm as "notoriously incompetent international butchery".
It was a prolonged and pointless internecine war in which Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire allied against Russia in a bid to stem its territorial expansion. Lancashire-born Fenton, a founding member of what is today the Royal Photographic Society in London, spent more than three months in the region photographing the war for the eager and anxious British public back home.
An exhibition of Fenton's pioneering war photographs has just opened in Edinburgh at The Queen's Gallery. Shadows of War does not set out to give a history of the war, only one man's interpretation of it. Through more than 60 photographs, acquired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, we witness the war's brutality and futility and at the same time appreciate Fenton's singular artistic talent.
Fenton was sent to the Crimea by publishers Thomas Agnew and Sons to produce photographs for the painter Thomas Barker, who would then use the images as source material and incorporate them into a large, grand oil painting encapsulating the war.
Fenton gathered his equipment and packed his "travelling darkroom" – that is, a converted wine merchant's van – and departed for the Crimea on board HMS Hecla on February 20, 1855. The following month he disembarked at the British base at Balaklava and conveyed his first impressions in a letter to his patron, William Agnew: "Of all the villainous holes that I have ever been in, I think this is the worst."
A cluster of Balaklava photographs are included at the exhibition. The Old Post Office, supposedly the first photograph Fenton took on his assignment, shows a building that has clearly been under attack and a group of men surveying the damage.
London viewers, used to pristine and smooth-running institutions, would be left to guess whether work had been suspended or it was business as usual. Other Balaklava images are less ambiguous and expertly capture the bustle and chaos of what was once a sleepy Russian port.
Fenton's most iconic photograph from the war was Valley of the Shadow of Death. It also became his most controversial. We see a ravine littered with cannonballs; there are no soldiers, living or dead. We find ourselves lulled by the emptiness and pulled in by the perspective. A second, almost identical, photograph of the ravine exists but with fewer cannonballs, suggesting that Fenton rearranged one of the scenes. Sophie Gordon, the exhibition's curator and head of photographs at the Royal Collection Trust, defends Fenton's use of artistic licence.
"This isn't particularly unusual for the time," says Gordon. "In the 1850s, because of the length of exposure which would be a minimum of several seconds, all photographs are to a certain extent staged."
Other topographical views are almost devoid of detail yet still have mesmerising power. Unlike standard mid-19th century landscape photographs which prioritised the picturesque, Fenton’s Sevastopol pictures are minimalist panoramas, presenting only barren, featureless plains. But the desolation is disquieting and atmospheric. It puts the viewer in the position of the allied soldier sighting the city – and the campaign’s final goal – in the far distance. While he is steadily advancing he is also mercilessly exposed.
Fenton's photographs are as much about people as place. There are the obligatory portraits of august military commanders. Council of War was to be one of Fenton's most popular photographs as it presents the three allied generals planning a crucial joint attack. But Fenton was not only interested in the main players. He turned his camera on a wide range of individuals of other nationalities whose lives were caught up in the conflict and whose existence was unfamiliar to viewers back home. We see Nubian servants and Tartar labourers; uniformed vivandières (the women who supplied French troops with food and drink) and Zouaves (Algerian soldiers who fought for the French).
The most striking portrait is Captain Lord Balgonie, not a smart and steely officer primed for battle but a haunted and dishevelled wreck with a wide-eyed stare.
“The eyes in war,” remarked veteran photojournalist Don McCullin, “tell you everything about human beings.”
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This disturbing picture leaves a lasting impression. “It has been described as the first photographic depiction of shellshock,” Gordon explains. “It shows that Fenton was not trying to present a whitewashed view of the war.”
This is an important point. Fenton was once condemned for being an apologist for the war, for not revealing the harsh realities of injury, disease and death that British soldiers routinely faced.
This criticism is no longer valid. His photographs do not take us into the heat of battle for the precise reason that he was in the Crimea months before or after those main battles were fought and either lost (the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade) or won (the endgame-siege of Sevastopol). Instead of blood, guts and corpses, Fenton concentrated on creating images of the aftermath and effects of war, from bombed buildings and shattered soldiers to the ravaged land on which so many lives were lost.
Fenton's stock-in-trade was not starkness but subtlety. One sequence includes a photograph of a view from Cathcart's Hill of the British camp: a mass of pointy white tents dotted all the way to the horizon. The sequence ends with a shot of Cathcart's Hill itself, on which stands a single figure contemplating a row of tombs.
Fenton's photographs were functional but we should remember that he was a trained artist. Such photographs, Gordon argues, "employ aesthetic techniques that are designed to elicit an emotional response."
The impact of Fenton's photographs on the Victorian public was considerable. Many already had an awareness of the war through the likes of newspaper reports, memoirs, soldiers' letters and Tennyson's great poem of 1854 The Charge of the Light Brigade. But Fenton's work provided a unique visual testimony.
When he returned, it was displayed at numerous venues across Britain and proved both a critical and popular success. One publication stated that by the end of March 1856, two million visitors had seen his photographs.
Another described the photographs as "a museum of fragments in miniature". After a private viewing, Queen Victoria recorded in her journal that Fenton's portraits and views were "extremely well done".
Fenton was not the first photographer to set foot in the Crimea but he was the first to produce a substantial body of work. "I see and hear many things here which I should never know had I been placed in any official position," he wrote to his wife.
By fulfilling a commercial commission rather than a government-sanctioned one, he was able to respond emotionally and without dictates and restrictions. The results are there to see.
Fenton has the distinction of being the first war photographer but also the misfortune of being too little known. This excellent and informative exhibition should help to change that and bring viewers up close to some powerful and poignant images of war.
Shadows of War: Roger Fenton's Photographs of the Crimea, 1855 is exhibited at The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh until November 26. For more information see www.royalcollection.org.uk
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TOURNAMENT INFO
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Thursday results
UAE beat Kuwait by 86 runs
Qatar beat Bahrain by five wickets
Saudi Arabia beat Maldives by 35 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, third-place playoff – Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
3pm, final – UAE v Qatar
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UAE'S%20YOUNG%20GUNS
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
READ MORE ABOUT CORONAVIRUS
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
