PIONEERING photography from a war 150 years ago will be on show next week.

British, French and Turkish troops joined forces to invade the Crimea in 1854 and captured the Russian naval base at Sevastopol.

It became known as the first armchair war, because, for the first time, newspaper photographers took images that allowed people at home to see the horrors of war.

The Crimean War is still best remembered for the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade, when British cavalry took on Russian guns.

Almost 250 horsemen were killed or wounded in the encounter, but while the British lost the charge, they went on to win the Battle of Balaclava.

To mark the 150th anniversary of the conflict, Dr Alastair Massie, from the National Army Museum, in London, will present an illustrated talk at the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery, in Durham, at 2pm on Saturday, November 6.

His talk will explain how the photographs came to be taken and the significance of what they show.

In particular, he will look at the work of Roger Fenton who, in 1855, took more than 300 photographs in the Crimea, including those of three soldiers of the 68th Light Infantry -the forerunner of the Durham Light Infantry.

Possibly the first modern war, new weapons, telegraph communications and railways played an important part, while Florence Nightingale and others improved nursing to save many lives.

Tickets for the talk are £4, £3 for concessions, £2.25 for children, and £2 for season ticket holders.

They are available on 0191-384 2214.