Henry Armytage Sanders

Henry Armytage Sanders
Henry Armytage Sanders, shadow self-portrait, First World War
Born	(1886-05-24)24 May 1886 Leytonstone, Essex, London, England
Died	5 May 1936(1936-05-05) (aged 49)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1917-1919
Rank	Captain
Service number	37194
Unit	New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Battles/wars	First World War Western Front
Spouse(s)	Lilian Mary Sanders
Other work	First World War photographer

First World War

Henry Armytage Bradley Sanders (24 May 1886 – 5 May 1936) was born in England and became New Zealand's first official war photographer and cinematographer in France and Belgium, although he never traveled to New Zealand. During the First World War, he took all the New Zealand Expeditionary Force historical photographs and designated these with serial numbers in the H series. Thomas Frederick Scales was the official photographer in the United Kingdom. Malcolm Ross took photographs in Samoa and Egypt, but under censorship guidelines developed by British military headquarters he was specifically prohibited from taking photographs in France.

In 1886, Sanders was born at Leytonstone, Essex, London, England, the son of Harold Armytage Thomas Sanders and Louisa Augusta Sanders née Watkins. In 1904, Sanders married Maude Marie Tugwell at St. Margaret's, Westminster, London, England. In 1910, Sanders married Lilian Mary Spurge at West Ham, Essex, England. In 1936, Sanders died at the age of 49 at Ploughley, Oxfordshire, England.

In December 1916, the New Zealand Government asked (via cable) Sir Thomas Mackenzie, the New Zealand High Commissioner in London to secure the right for New Zealand to appoint an official cameraman. On 23 March 1917, Mackenzie replied (via cable) to inform the New Zealand War Office that an official photographer in the name of Henry Armytage Sanders, had been appointed and assigned to the Western Front attached to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force with rank of lieutenant pending the War Office’s approval. On 2 April 1917, James Allen, New Zealand Minister of Defense and Acting Prime Minister replied that Sanders was unknown to New Zealand Picture Supplies or any other entity in the picture industry. Mackenzie answered the inquiry and informed Allen that Sanders had worked for the French company Pathé Frѐres and was a seasoned photographic and cinematographic professional. The terms were: ”All photographic materials to be supplied by New Zealand Government who will have sole rights to all photographs”. Sanders had already seen action working as the British cameraman for Pathé Gazette in Europe and filmed the war in 1914 when the Germans advanced into Belgium. He had nearly been captured.