Almost
all 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.
Size difference is due to the use of different scanners.
Keystone
'View from stage of a Serbian Army audience in an outdoor theater at the
front - prompter in the foreground'. Descriptive text.
Order
#5252.
Keystone
'A Serbian rest camp, back of front line trenches in the Balkans'. Descriptive
text.
Order
#5253.
'Hoary
winter settles down on trench life on Flanders'.
Order
#5255.
Keystone
'With the Belgian Army at the Front: Inspection of Rifles (European War).
Descriptive text.
Order
#5256.
Keystone
'Camp of French artillerymen. Enjoying well-earned rest from trench warfare'.
Descriptive text.
Order
#5257.
'With
our fighting forces on the Western front'.
Order
#5258.
'British
officers planning an attack and giving orders for the day's "straf"'.
Order
#5262.
'An army
field kitchen always ready with hot meals for our hungry troops'.
Order
#5264.
Keystone
'Serving food from a movable kitchen in ruined Curlu on the Somme'. Descriptive
text.
Order
#5265.
'Seaforths
filling their water bottles at a town pump before going into the trenches'.
Order
#5271.
'Seaforths
filling their water bottles at a town pump before going into the trenches'. Yellow is scanner fault.
Order
#5272.
'After
weeks of weary fighting for the fateful Menin road, the victors and the
vanquished both happy'.
Order
#5273.
'The
result of a bombardment; shell craters and building wrecked by German shells'.
Order
#5275.
'?? reviews
the "Young Guards" before their departure for garrison duty on the Rhine'.
Condition.
Slight damage to title.
Order
#5276.
'Tommy's
mount receives first attention. Carrying water from nearby rivulets'.
Order
#5277.
'Tommy's
mount receives first attention. Carrying water from nearby rivulet'.
Order
#5278.
'Troops
enjoy a bathe after a long day's march; crocodiles make the rivers too
dangerous'. (Not France then!).
Order
#5279.
'Cavalry
always ready in anticipation of a breach through rest horses in a French
village'.
Order
#5280.
'On the
inhospitable Gallipoli hillsides where the burning bush drove us from many
hard-won positions'.
Order
#5282.
Keystone.
'Ready for the "Abandon Ship" drill. U.S. soldiers with life belts adjusted'.
Long descriptive text.
Order
#5289.
'The
Labyrinth, Arras, taken in deadly hand-to-hand fighting, proves a haven
of rest to our weary men'.
Order
#5290.
'Watching
the effect of German bombardment of a French village'.
Order
#5291.
Keystone.
'Some of our two million fighters ready for home, Brest, France'. Long
descriptive text.
Order
#5292.
Keystone.
'Our answer to the Kaiser - 3,000 of America's millions eager to fight
for democracy'. Long descriptive text.
Order
#5293.
'Offering
thanks for the victory. Church service in a field behind the trenches'.
Order
#5294.
Military
church parade (Manchesters in foreground)'.
Condition.
Both images badly split.
Order
#5295.
Price
$1.
Keystone.
'A bristling forest of bayonets. Russian troops on review'. Long descriptive
text.
Order
#5296.
'Mud-splashed
Lewis machine gunners at the junction of the Belgium and our lines
at ?Hollestrate'.
Order
#5297.
'A quiet
hour in a quiet spot out of range of enemy shells'.
Order
#5299.
'Black
Watch and Indians rest on fire-step while a hail of machine-gun bullets
sweep the parapet'.
Order
#5300.
'A Boche
sniper worries a Section of Seaforths who are snatching a moment's respite'.
Note pet dog in the trench.
Order
#5301.
'Stretcher-bearers
removing a wounded officer who has been picked off by a German sniper'.
Order
#5302.
'Our
artillery cooking dinner in a house smashed by German shells'.
Condition.
Long surface fault across l/h image. Not obvious when viewing.
Order
#5303.
Price
$5.
'Off
duty, our men entering their dug-out for a short rest'.
Order
#5304.
'Evening
in our Reserve trenches at Beaumont Hamel, our troops rest on the conquered
ground'.
Order
#5305.
'Band
of Pathans playing on a French farm'. Sorry about the scan.
Condition.
Slight white fault across r/h image.
Order
#5306.
Price
$6.
'Afternoon
tea under difficulties; each man carries his own protection against bees
(yup - bees!)'
Order
#5308.
'South
African gunners with their pet zebra in East Africa'.
Order
#5309.
'Reinforcements
for the advance on Baghdad awaiting orders'. Plus ca change.
Order
#5310.
'Our
reserves awaiting orders to move up to their new positions on the slopes
of Cape Hellas'.
Order
#5311.
'British
troops from invading columns refresh themselves at a waterfall'.
Order
#5312.
'A wet
camp in a dry country, British camp swamped by rising river'.
Order
#5313.
'Early
morning camp fires and breakfast in the Persian Gulf'.
Order
#5314.
Price
$6.
To page one - Troops on the move
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
