Fenton, Roger

(born 1819, Heywood, Eng.—died Aug. 8, 1869, London) British photographer. In 1853 he helped found the Royal Photographic Society of London. In 1854 he was appointed the government's official photographer and sent to document the Crimean War. He shot some 360 photographs of the war; although they largely represent a glorified overview, showing very little of the real action or agony of war, they represent the first extensive photographic documentation of a war. On his return he exhibited successfully in London and Paris.

Find more information on Fenton, Roger. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Fenton, Roger.