Set of 3 original First World War photographs (1915-1918)

A group of three original photographs, a particularly interesting documentary ensemble in that it captures a less frequently represented aspect of military life during the First World War: the moments of relaxation and humour among soldiers behind the lines. Although there are no inscriptions allowing the unit to be identified precisely, the uniforms, the calot-type forage caps and the exposed brickwork architecture point with reasonable probability to the French army on the Western Front, most likely in the period 1915–1918.

The first photograph shows an obviously staged scene in which two soldiers armed with bayoneted rifles guard a half-open door, from the narrow gap between the two leaves of which the heads of their comrades appear, one above the other. The image belongs to the genre of improvised studio or billet photographs, very popular among servicemen, in which military discipline is turned into a comic scene. Pictures of this kind served to keep up morale and were often sent home to families as keepsakes.

The second photograph shows the same group of soldiers wrapped in blankets or sheets, each holding a pamphlet or a newspaper, in a composition that probably parodies a religious choir or a monastic assembly. The figure in the centre, with a moustache and dishevelled hair, heightens the theatrical character of the scene. On the reverse is a manuscript inscription, apparently "Anele" or "Onele Joseph", possibly the name of one of the participants or of the recipient of the photograph, though the handwriting does not allow a certain reading.

The third photograph is the most elaborate of the three. It shows an improvised hospital scene in which one soldier plays the patient lying on a stretcher while the others act as orderlies, an army chaplain, a sentry and even a female figure, evidently played by a soldier in costume. The improvised costumes and the distribution of roles demonstrate a genuine camp entertainment, a practice well documented in Western armies of the First World War and intended to combat the monotony of garrison life.

Photographically, the images are technically successful, with good clarity and a carefully constructed composition. They go beyond the strictly documentary character of military photography and illustrate the human dimension of war, capturing the comradeship and humour of soldiers in a conflict usually defined by violence and suffering.

The state of preservation is good to very good for photographs more than a century old. There is wear at the edges, slightly blunted corners and small marks from handling, without major damage to the images. The standard dimensions of 9 × 14 cm indicate photographic copies intended for private circulation, probably made by a military or civilian photographer near the front.