The ruined interior of Albert Cathedral

While ostensibly negative, images of the destruction wrought by the war could also be useful, when imbued with a symbolic character that would appeal to the home fronts of the British Empire.

While this image of the ruined interior of Albert Cathedral as a result of the Battle of the Somme, 1916, taken by the Canadian official photographer Lt. William Ivor Castle, lacks the artistry of some First World War images, it would have been highly affective to a contemporary audience. In the first sense, the image represents the popularity of heroic myths during the war. The iconic Albert Cathedral became part of First World War lore during the war itself. The more recognizable representation of the Cathedral is its exterior, with the statue of the Virgin Mary atop the Cathedral reduced to a horizontal angle by German shelling. Myth soon surrounded the Cathedral, with British and German claims that the fall of the statue would signal the end of the war, and possible victory or loss for the side to bring the statue down. Thus, the cathedral would have been a recognizable and powerful symbol to a domestic audience. In another sense, such images brought the realities of the extraordinary damage wrought by the war to the realization of people on home fronts comparatively unscathed by fighting, such as Britain and throughout the empire. Such images complimented atrocity propaganda stories of the immorality of German soldiers during the war, supposedly desecrating churches and committing unspeakable acts against women, children and clergy. These depictions contributed to a conception of the German war effort as against civilization, morality, and religion, reflected in the damage wrought on the formerly beautiful interior of Albert Cathedral, a symbol of civilization. While such propaganda was prevalent at the outset of the war, contributing to high initial numbers of volunteers, it continued to be important in motivating volunteerism, and maintaining public enthusiasm later in the war, after conscription was introduced and war weariness set in.