Artist Index: Robertson, James

Base of the Malakoff Tower, Crimea. 1855. Salted paper print. 22,5 x 29,5 cm (26,2 cm x 31,5 cm). Mounted to board, annotated in pencil on mount.

Taken by James Robertson during the Crimean War in 1855, this photograph depicts the Malakhov Tower, a crucial Russian fortress during the Siege of Sevastopol. The image shows the imposing structure surrounded by earthworks and artillery batteries, highlighting its strategic importance. Recognized as one of the earliest photographs capturing armed conflict in the history of photography, another print of this image is housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection within Major George Harry Smith Willis's Crimean War scrapbook. – Faded first print with two creases on top margin and a small spot in lower margin.

Crimean War (1853 - 1856). Interior of the Redan, Sebastopol. 1855. Salt print on thin paper, unmounted. 25,5 x 29,8 cm.

The Battle of the Great Redan was a major battle during the Crimean War, fought between British forces against Russia from June 18 to September 8, 1855 as part of the Siege of Sevastopol. The French army successfully stormed the Malakoff entrenchment, whereas a simultaneous British attack on the Great Redan to the south of the Malakoff was averted. Contemporary commentators have suggested that, although the Redan became so important to the Victorians, it was probably not vital to the taking of Sevastopol. – Faded, slightly stronger fading in edges, light diagonal crease mark in upper area, otherwise a fine print with good contrasts.