Most
of my World War One material is by H. D. Girdwood, an English company,
who sold their views under the trade name 'Realistic Travels'. Most of
their views are of a higher quality than WWI views by Underwood although,
due to the high gloss, they do not scan very well. They will therefore
almost all be of far higher quality than they appear on the screen.
Please
click here for a high quality
scan which gives a true indication of the quality.
Underwood
photographers were not present on the battlefield sites between 1916 when
the Kaiser said he could not guarantee the safety of war photographers,
and the end of hostilities in 1918. Girdwood's views therefore have more
immediacy and action. They were issued in sets of between 50 and 500 views
so the numbering sequence is pretty muddled. Customers could also pick
out the views they required and so a box or collection may have non-sequential
numbering. They come on Underwood-type mounts or on lighter mounts with
curved or beveled edges. These are interchangeable and most views appear
on both types of mount.
Our
valued American customers may ask why there are practically no US troops
in these views. The reason is simple; despite Holywood rewriting history,
most of these views were taken between 1915 and 1917 when the USA was a
neutral country.
These are ALL condition 8, 9 or 10 and priced at $8 each unless otherwise mentioned. Slight size difference is due to different settings on two scanners.
'Lord
Kitchener with the Lord Mayor, addressing a recruiting meeting'. This is
how it all began! Images are somewhat milky but all copies of this view
that I have seen are the same.
Order
#5201.
Price
$12.
'Australian
drivers galloping up to move the guns to forward positions during battle
for Le Transloy'.
Order
#5202.
'Our
reserves, on their way up into action, pass a badly crippled tank in the
battle zone'.
Order
#5203.
'Mounted
Anzac troops force the Wadi Ghurzee and outflank Gaza by a rapid detour
across the desert'.
Order
#5204.
'Burghers
crossing the desert sands on their way from Swakopmund to the front'.
Order
#5205.
'Scouts
feeling their way through the forests of East Africa'.
Order
#5206.
'S.A.I.
with transports, nearing the central railway'.
Order
#5207.
'An ammunition
column bringing up some of the endless stream of shells to the ever-devouring
guns'.
Order
#5208.
'Wagons
taking up branches of trees to camouflage the guns'.
Order
#5209.
'A cavalry
brigade with baggage and supplies moving up'.
Order
#5210.
'Guns
of the Royal Horse Artillery thundering through a French village'.
Order
#5213.
'Motor
ambulances with wounded passing reserves on their way to the firing line'.
Order
#5214.
'French
children watching British Hussars passing through their village'.
Order
#5215.
'When
the thaw set in on the Somme our artillery ploughs its way thro' mud and
water to Gommascourt'.
Order
#5216.
'Cavalry
coming up to support a hard-pressed point of the line'.
Order
#5217.
'Our
devoted cavalry skilfully cover the retreat of the infantry before the
Hun advance on Amiens'.
Order
#5218.
'Reserves
of Indian infantry being hurried into the firing line'. Milky images as
originally processed.
Order
#5219.
'First
line Gurkhas leaving camp for the trenches'.
Order
#5221.
'French
and Military Police starting off to raid a den of spies'.
Order
#5222.
'A Highland
battalion passing a French village on the way to the trenches'. Edge of
one image slightly lifting.
Order
#5223.
'A Highland
battalion passing through a French village on their way to the trenches'.
Order
#5224.
'Our
gallent fighters charging over a pontoon bridge constructed in four hours'.
Order
#5225.
'A regiment
of Allenby's cavalry worn out in the critical fighting at Ypres, recuperates
behind the line'.
Order
#5226.
'A battery
of Field Artillery crossing a bridge at eventide'.
Order
#5227.
'A new
battalion, recently arrived, drilling on a Flanders farm'.
Order
#5228.
'Hussars
turning off a road to rest and water their horses'.
Condition
7 (slight marks).
Order
#5229.
Price
$6.
'Moving
up with the French 75s during attack at Threpval Ridge, we pass Huns taken
in the wonder work'.
Order
#5231.
'London
Territorials passing a ruined house on the shell-swept La Bassee Road'.
Order
#5232.
'London
Territorials passing a shell wrecked house on shell-swept La Bassee Road'.
Slight yellow processing mark on r/h image.
Order
#5233.
'A battalion
of the Manchesters which suffered badly at Ypres recuperate behind the
line'.
Order
#5234.
'Dry
and dusty; Leicesters passing an estaminet on their way to the trenches'.
Order
#5235.
'U.S.
troops who did splendid work at St Mihiel salient arrive at New York escorted
by warships'. US troop views are rare.
Order
#5237.
Price
$15.
'Our
splendid cavalry ready to exploit any advantage gained by infantry attacks'.
Clearer than scan and in original condition.
Order
#5238.
'South
African infantry entraining at Capetown en route to East Africa'.
Order
#5239.
'On the
long march through torrid heat to Bagdad'.
Order
#5241.
'Under
the Star and Crescent - Infantry of the Sultan's army so dramatically defeated
by Allanby'.
Order
#5242.
To page four - Guns and gunners
To page five - In the trenches, over the top, fixed defenses, communications, materiel
To page seven - Battlefield landscapes, prisoners
To page eight - Miscellaneous and war damage
To page nine - The wounded, the fallen, war graves
