PHOTO FINISH

A CANTINIÈRE POSES C1855

For centuries, women have accompanied their soldier husbands and, and later , as they would often be found in canteens, providing water and wine and sometimes medical care to troops. They served in the French army until World War I and could be found on both sides of the American Civil War. Though not on the front line, it was still a dangerous role and the women were at risk of being captured by the enemy. This woman, in the dress of a French Zouave regiment, was photographed during the Crimean War (1853-56) by Roger Fenton, an Englishman widely regarded as one of the first war photographers.