Photograph of a soldier and his family, no date (1914-1918)

Although the name of this family has been lost, we can tell certain things about the soldier in the photograph: he is wearing spurs (have a look at his boots) and the chevrons of a lance corporal (see his sleeve). From his cap badge we can tell that he was probably a member of the Royal Engineers Regiment.

Many men went to a photographic studio before they shipped out, to have a portrait taken, like this one. The men going to war left photographs of themselves for their loved ones and took photographs of their families and friends with them, as keepsakes. The studios often had basic furniture (like the chair and columns here), backdrops and even clothes that their customers could borrow.

The child in the middle of the photograph is blurred. This is because of the long exposure times needed in photography at this time; sitters had to keep their pose for a long time in front of the camera.

By the outbreak of the First World War photography, as an invention, was less than 100 years old. Until the beginning of the 20^th century equipment was bulky and expensive. It could only really be afforded by the wealthy or by professional photographers (like the studio photographer who took this picture). In 1900 Kodak released the “Box Brownie”, a mass-produced camera that the company designed to fit in the pocket. This made photography much more portable and affordable; men took cameras to the theatres of war with them. Although the army banned the taking of photographs at the Front, many men still did so (see the link to Northumberland Fusilier photographs below).