Albert K. Dawson, the "Kaiser's Cameraman"

While researching the online files of the National Archives in Washington, D.C. the authors recently struck gold. In Record Group 165 "American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs" we found a fascinating picture file on Albert K. Dawson - the "Kaiser's Cameraman" - who accompanied the German and Austrian army during World War I.

Albert Dawson, directing war films in Galicia, Eastern Front, 1915. Copied from a World War I file now at the National Archives. Colorized picture.

Link to original high res image

This record group is part of the files of the Historical Branch, War Plans Division, War Department General Staff, and was assembled by the Committee on Public Information (CPI), America's propaganda agency during the First World War. As we dug into this photo collection we found a sub file entitled "Enemy Activities - German Propaganda".  As it turns out, the U.S. government collected German propaganda pictures and they made a complete file on Dawson who was considered an interesting subject.

Most of these pictures were collected in December 1918. The description is very accurate and shows a lot more information than what must have been in the original photo captions from 1915. Presumably the editor received more information on Dawson's photographic work in wartime Europe, either from Dawson himself or from the FBI who investigated his work and produced a file on him in 1918.

Amazing Quality

We copied all of these pictures and the quality is simply amazing. There are many new photographs that we had never seen before, notably a picture showing Dawson in the trenches at the western front and another great shot showing him directing a war film in Galicia in the summer of 1915, together with his camera operator John Allen Everets.

Dawson in the trenches at the Western Front, 1915. Colorized picture.

Link to original high res image

During World War I when the United States was still neutral Dawson worked for a movie company that was funded by the Germans, producing a series of war films in America. You can read more about his film adventures in our book Shooting the Great War: Albert Dawson and the American Correspondent Film Company (2013).

We uploaded this magnificent collection to our photo channel on Flickr, and you are free to download these pictures here.

Postscript (May 2019): Dawson in Bulgaria

Dawson with the Bulgarian army. Publicity picture from Motography, 8 April 1916

Link to high res images from this trade magazine

Dawson not only filmed with the German and Austro-Hungarian army. In the winter of 1915, he also managed to get to Bulgaria, the Central Powers' latest ally. On his return from the front, he was interviewed by the Continental Times on his experiences in the Balkans. Here is a download link to this article.

Dawson in the Balkans, wearing a Bulgarian winter outfit. Publicity picture printed in Leslie's Weekly, 20 April 1916, with Dawson's personal greetings to veteran war photographer Jimmy Hare

Filming with the Bulgarian army

Information on Dawson's film work with the Bulgarians is scarce, but we were lucky recently to find a press report by New York Evening Post journalist Horace Green who accompanied Dawson during this trip. According to Green, he and Dawson were in the Bulgarian capital on Thanksgiving Day November 1915. At the Royal Palace they tried to get an interview with the Bulgarian King Ferdinand. Dawson had brought along his movie camera to make a film of the Royal couple. This was after he had received a police permit, but as it turned out the Bulgarian King and his wife did not pose for Dawson's movie camera. Green mentions both he and Dawson were tailed by an Austrian spy. He also reported Dawson shortly afterwards went to Constantinople (Istanbul).

Here is a download link to Green's report on Dawson's film work in Bulgaria.