Autochrome stereoviews of the Great War – part II

This is the second post about autochrome stereoviews from the Great War. Read the first post for an introduction to colour photography during the First World War. This acquisition consists of 17 autochrome stereoviews in the 6x13cm format, packed in 5 cardboard boxes. The boxes are provided with titles and dates, which makes the collection… Continue reading Autochrome stereoviews of the Great War – part II

The SPCA in Audignicourt

This 6x13cm glass stereoview was published by La Stéréoscopie Universelle and has a caption “Audignicourt – Tank Renault – 9282”. It’s a rich image with good composition. Most interesting however is the person in the foreground. The soldier is photographing or filming. He photographs or films from a tripod, which indicates that he’s using heavy… Continue reading The SPCA in Audignicourt

Paul Piotin collection

This story starts at a flea market in Sancerre, France. Guy Laluque is a collector of stereoscopy antiques and has a collection of approximately 700 stereoviews from the First World War. He bought a collection of cardboard boxes with 45x107mm stereoviews at a flea market. He studied the images and found the death certificate of the photographer. He… Continue reading Paul Piotin collection

Aerial stereo photography

The First World War was the first major conflict in which aerial photography played an important role. Aircraft were used to observe the enemy and to learn his intentions from the start of the First World War in July 1914. Observers made sketches and shared their observations on their return. Cameras were soon used to… Continue reading Aerial stereo photography

Gott strafe England

This stereoview shows a group of German prisoners of war guarded by French soldiers on horses. They’re walking along a house with the text Gott strafe England! 1914/15. The photo was taken in the village of Bucy-le-Long in Northern France. Gott strafe England (“May God punish England”) was a slogan used by the German army during the… Continue reading Gott strafe England

Autochrome stereoviews of the Great War – part I

Less than one-thousandth of the images from the First World War are colour images[1]. Most were produced by the photography unit of the French army, La Section Photographique et Cinématographique de l’Armée (SPCA). Photographers like Paul Castelnau, Fernand Cuville and Albert Samama Chikli made images by using the autochrome colour process at various locations of… Continue reading Autochrome stereoviews of the Great War – part I

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