Cooking House of the 8th Hussars 1855

Curator: This photograph, "Cooking House of the 8th Hussars," was captured in 1855 by Roger Fenton. The gelatin-silver print offers a glimpse into the Crimean War, now held at the Metropolitan Museum. Editor: Wow, it's striking. There’s a relaxed, almost intimate feel despite the context of war. Like a stolen moment in time… kind of smoky and surreal. Curator: Exactly. Fenton, though commissioned to document the war, seemed drawn to these quiet, domestic scenes within the chaos. His lens captures not battles, but rather the mundane realities of military life—preparing and sharing meals, mending clothing, or writing letters. It’s really subverting traditional war imagery. Editor: I see a bunch of blokes hanging out... It’s the "cooking house," yeah, but you don't see the gore or grand battles, just this ordinary camaraderie. But given they were smack in the middle of a warzone... doesn't it gloss over the horrors they likely experienced? Curator: It raises those questions. These images certainly were used as tools of romanticism and promotion. It could also be understood as capturing the shared vulnerability, the unifying experience that transcends rank and position. The domestic, nurturing scene underscores the contrast. The absence speaks volumes. Editor: Yeah, maybe that contrast makes the horror…sharper? Like showing them bonding over food highlights what's at stake if that makes any sense... Almost haunting. Look at the smoke rising—very dramatic. Curator: And what about gender in this context? It's overwhelmingly masculine. Wartime is often used as a period in history to reimagine ideas of masculinity. Who does labor? Who sacrifices? Where are the feminine ideals? These photographs further demonstrate gender as a social construct. Editor: Hmm...Food is often coded feminine too. A shared 'mothering' under pressure and hardship...I like that tension. It brings layers to such an outwardly simple image. This one might be lingering with me for a bit! Curator: Definitely a moment of everyday life amid an intense and impactful historic time period and event, one that we must study through diverse frameworks to more completely understand.