Between the Covers

Hardcover. Oblong small quarto. Full ox-blood leather ruled in gilt. Joints cracked but firm, rubbing and wear at the extremities, about very good; internally with largely unreadable owner name dated in 1918 and a clipping removed, both on preliminary blanks, a few images with light wear, else about fine. Contains 83 double weight gelatin silver photographs backed with linen. A couple are captioned either on the verso or dimly readable through the linen backing. The images are number stamped consecutively, and appears to be lacking 19 images, although this particular album was likely compiled as it is in its present form. Most of the images are approximately 9” x 7”. Images are from the French Pictorial Service, which originated in 1917 in the Cinematographic and Photographic Division of the French Army, and which was considered an important propaganda tool in the war effort. The Service used the most skillful photographers to photograph the war and to distribute the images in Great Britain and the United States in order to encourage the greater participation of those countries. The photos encompass a wide range of activities and scenes, with much emphasis on trench warfare, wrecked villages and equipment (including a pile of mangled bicycles), bombed buildings, wounded soldiers, cavalry, mules trains, black colonial troops, officers, group pictures of units (including a few of American units), cooks, mending uniforms and buildings, washing, sawing logs to buttress trenches, generals and dignitaries visiting battlefields, a few of civilians and children in the war zone, etc. The full range of the photographers’ skills is exhibited in support of the French War effort. Accompanied by an ex-library copy of The History of the French Pictorial Service in America by Henry Mac Mahon, undated but circa 1920.

Item #439305