Landing Place, Railway Stores, Balaklava 1855

Roger Fenton made this photograph titled ‘Landing Place, Railway Stores, Balaklava’ using the collodion process. This view of the Crimean war effort depicts a scene of supply and transport. We should be aware of the cultural context when considering this image. Fenton was commissioned to make photographs of the war by a publisher, but with the stipulation that he was not to show anything that would cause unease in Britain. This was a time when photography was still a relatively new medium, and its potential for propaganda was becoming clear. The image is interesting for what it doesn’t show – there are no bodies or wounded men, but instead, a scene of industry and commerce. It creates meaning by what is included and what is left out. By consulting publications from the period we can discover how the war was being presented to the public, and through that, understand more about the role of photography in shaping public opinion.