Lot Essay
Including a good series of studies at Balaklava, The Valley of the Shadow of Death (illustrated), A Quiet Day in the Mortar Battery, Cemetery, Cathcart's Hill and views of various camps of 4th Light Dragoons, 4th Dragoon Guards, horse artillery and cavalry. In addition, the complete 11-part panorama Plateau of Sebastopol with its key, 5-part panorama Plains of Balaklava and 3-part panorama Valley of Inkermann are included. Photographs taken by Robertson include one 2-part panorama Interiors of Fort Redan, Sebastopol, and views of Malakoff and the Barracks Battery. Titles of Fenton's images available upon request.
The Crimean War photographs were offered in a series of parts, in which a group of 160 images was described as the "Complete Work" or the "Entire Work" in the catalogue of the publisher Agnew, although Hannavy states that 360 prints were shown to the Emperor Napoleon. The prints were also sold in a series of titled volumes, such as these. It would appear that although the number of photographs per volume was fixed, it was up to the individual buyer to select the particular choice of subjects. The photographs sold singly were priced from half a guinea to a guinea.
For Fenton's own detailed account of his visit to the Crimea, see: Hannavy, Roger Fenton of Crimble Hall, chapter 5, which reproduces the text of his Narrative of a Photographic Trip to the Seat of War in the Crimea, delivered before a meeting of the Photographic Society in January 1856.
The Crimean War photographs were offered in a series of parts, in which a group of 160 images was described as the "Complete Work" or the "Entire Work" in the catalogue of the publisher Agnew, although Hannavy states that 360 prints were shown to the Emperor Napoleon. The prints were also sold in a series of titled volumes, such as these. It would appear that although the number of photographs per volume was fixed, it was up to the individual buyer to select the particular choice of subjects. The photographs sold singly were priced from half a guinea to a guinea.
For Fenton's own detailed account of his visit to the Crimea, see: Hannavy, Roger Fenton of Crimble Hall, chapter 5, which reproduces the text of his Narrative of a Photographic Trip to the Seat of War in the Crimea, delivered before a meeting of the Photographic Society in January 1856.