ROGER FENTON (1819-69)
The Old Post Office, Balaklava
15 Mar 1855RCIN 2500464
In one of his letters Fenton said that the photograph of the Old Post Office was the first photograph he made in the Crimea. A Victorian public might have expected the post office to be smart and efficient institution, but the condition of this building emphasises that the photographer is on the edge of a war zone. The rubble on the ground would have been created by the destruction of existing buildings to make way for the military railway, constructed by the British in 1855. A large number of beer bottles stands on the ledge at the top of the stairs.
From the collection of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII
From the collection of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII