Roger Fenton, Pioneer of Combat Photography

In March 1855, photographer Roger Fenton left London for the Crimea to document the war. His journey was supported by the Royal Family and sponsored by a London publisher. With him he took a servant and a large wagon filled with the bulky photographic equipment of the day.
 
Fenton roamed the battle area near the Russian port of Sevastopol during its siege by British troops. The conditions under which he labored were almost unbearable. Temperatures soared, restricting Fenton’s photographic sessions to the early morning hours. The heat transformed his sealed, wagon-born darkroom into an oven. In addition he suffered from cholera. Somehow Fenton persevered.

The lengthy exposure times mandated by the photo technology of the time precluded the taking of any action photos. Fenton’s images focus on posed subjects and landscapes. Although Fenton never documented actual battlefield action, his images pioneered combat photography. They were a revelation to the audience back home when his photos were exhibited in London soon after his return in June 1855.

Fenton continued his photography back home, but for unexplained reasons, abandoned his craft, sold his equipment and returned to his law practice in 1862. He died seven years later at age 49, possibly from the lingering effects of his bout with cholera during the war.

Captain Cunninghame 42nd Regiment

Roger Fenton and his mobile darkroom

The Valley of Death after the battle. Notice the spent cannon balls on the road.