Valley of the Shadow of Death

Jim McDougall · 30th September 2022, 09:08 PM

This epithet used by Lord Tennyson in his immortal poem of December 1854 evokes Psalm 23 and the phrase used by British soldiers in the Crimea telling of the 'Charge of the Light Brigade' October 25, 1854 at Balaklava.

"...half a league, half a league, half a league onward,
All in the Valley of Death rode the Six Hundred".
He went on to describe ,
" ...cannon to the right of them, cannon to the left of them,
cannon in front of them, volleyed and thundered".

In 1855, the photographer Roger Fenton, went to the Crimea to photograph the elements of what was the Crimean War (1854-56), which became the very beginning of photography in the reporting on war. He wanted to dramatize the 'Charge' and the Seige of Sebastopol.
He went to a location in which a road was littered with cannon balls, that was in actuality several miles from the true charge location, and took two images.
One of these has the balls, aside the road in a ditch, while the other had them littered all over the road, as if left where they fell after being fired.

He published "Panorama of the Plateau of Sebastopol in Eleven Parts" in September 1855. In this, the second photo with cannon balls all over the road was titled, 'Valley of the Shadow of Death".
In this controversial photo, investigation has proven in degree that the photo published was apparently 'staged'

The last photo is of the area of the 'Valley of Death' in Crimea as seen about 15 years ago, mostly vineyards.

30th September 2022, 09:08 PM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,944	Valley of the Shadow of Death This epithet used by Lord Tennyson in his immortal poem of December 1854 evokes Psalm 23 and the phrase used by British soldiers in the Crimea telling of the 'Charge of the Light Brigade' October 25, 1854 at Balaklava. "...half a league, half a league, half a league onward, All in the Valley of Death rode the Six Hundred". He went on to describe , " ...cannon to the right of them, cannon to the left of them, cannon in front of them, volleyed and thundered". In 1855, the photographer Roger Fenton, went to the Crimea to photograph the elements of what was the Crimean War (1854-56), which became the very beginning of photography in the reporting on war. He wanted to dramatize the 'Charge' and the Seige of Sebastopol. He went to a location in which a road was littered with cannon balls, that was in actuality several miles from the true charge location, and took two images. One of these has the balls, aside the road in a ditch, while the other had them littered all over the road, as if left where they fell after being fired. He published "Panorama of the Plateau of Sebastopol in Eleven Parts" in September 1855. In this, the second photo with cannon balls all over the road was titled, 'Valley of the Shadow of Death". In this controversial photo, investigation has proven in degree that the photo published was apparently 'staged' The last photo is of the area of the 'Valley of Death' in Crimea as seen about 15 years ago, mostly vineyards. Attached Images