The First World War in Color (1 Viewer)

jazzeum

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Taschen Publishers has just released the above book. From the publisher's website.

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The devastating events of the First World War were captured in myriad photographs on all sides of the front. Since then, thousands of books of black-and-white photographs of the war have been published as all nations endeavour to comprehend the scale and the carnage of the “greatest catastrophe of the 20th century”. Far less familiar are the rare colour images of the First World War, taken at the time by a small group of photographers pioneering recently developed autochrome technology.


To mark the centenary of the outbreak of war, this groundbreaking volume brings together all of these remarkable, fully hued pictures of the "war to end war." Assembled from archives in Europe, the United States and Australia, more than 320 colour photos provide unprecedented access to the most important developments of the period – from the mobilization of 1914 to the victory celebrations in Paris, London and New York in 1919. The volume represents the work of each of the major autochrome pioneers of the period, including Paul Castelnau, Fernand Cuville, Jules Gervais-Courtellemont, Léon Gimpel, Hans Hildenbrand, Frank Hurley, Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud and Charles C. Zoller.


Since the autochrome process required a relatively long exposure time, almost all of the photos depict carefully composed scenes, behind the rapid front-line action. We see poignant group portraits, soldiers preparing for battle, cities ravaged by military bombardment – daily human existence and the devastating consequences on the front. A century on, this unprecedented publication brings a startling human reality to one of the most momentous upheavals in history.

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Here is a review, http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblo...61f50c031&utm_source=Email marketing software
 
Here are some images from the book.
 

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Looks like another one for my ever expanding list. I will have to have this as it apparently is mostly from French sources. -- Al
 
I ordered this the other day; should be here in a week.

Another magnificent book is the Imperial War Museum's book.
 
Looking forward to seeing the photos hopefully to provide some inspiration for diorama layouts. Mine in flight, due next week. Robin.
 
I received this today. For those of you who may want to buy it, please listen carefully: Run, do not walk, but run to get this. It is fabulous. The photos are fabulous. ^&cool^&cool^&cool

There is a small introductory section on the advent of color photography. Most of the book focuses on the War after 1917 but there are sections on 1914, 1915 and 1916. There are small sections on the War in the Air, US participation, war wounds and deaths (quite terrible to look at) and the war in Palestine, and even the Victory celebrations.
 

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