While not as commonly represented in exciting sets of stereoviews, photographs and newsreels from the front - or any media really, standing around and shooting the breeze was as much a part of Great War life as ducking for cover during a bombardment or hastily fitting a gas mask. These were men at war, but foremost, they were men living their lives.
Fasser Collection: Reims Cathedral & More
Dr. Fasser's collection came with a twine-bound set of 8 slides marked "Rheims", a common alternate spelling of Reims. But given what's on the slides, he couldn't have made them all himself - so we must examine the evidence to try to suss out whether Fasser ever did photograph Reims.
Fasser Collection: Devastated Belgium
One of the items in Andrew O. Fasser's collection of stereo slides is a box, which originally held Verascope Richard 6x13 diapositives, simply marked "Belgium". Inside are 16 slides of Great War devastation; the best 8 are examined.
Remembrance Day: 100 Years, 100 Photos
Today, on the centenary of the Great War's effective end with the 11 a.m. Armistice, I present 100 stereographic (and 2D) photographs from a soldier's-eye point of view. Lest we forget.
One-shot #8: At a Calvary Near the Ancre
In which Wilfred Owen's poem is paired with and analyzed beside one of the images from the A. O. Fasser Collection.
Alexander O. Fasser: An American Surgeon in Paris
An American surgeon left for France in October 1915, returning six months later with stories, knowledge, a sense of horror - and about 500 Great War stereoviews, taken by him with a camera he bought while there and quickly learned to use quite well.
New Acquisition: “Millie’s Nine”
I recently acquired 9 new Great War glass stereoviews from a very generous eBay seller - and present them with captions here.
One-shot #4: Arbusesque
In a stack of random amateur stereoviews that accompanied a recent Great War purchase on eBay, I was delighted to find this photo that reminded me of some of Diane Arbus's early portraits.