PIONEERING photography from a war fought 150 years ago will be on show in County Durham next week.

British, French and Turkish troops joined forces to invade the Crimea in 1854 and captured the Russian naval base at Sebastopol. It became known as the first 'armchair war', as for the first time, newspaper photographers took images that allowed people at home to see the true 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.

To mark the 150th anniversary of the conflict, Alastair Massie, from the National Army Museum in London, will present an illustrated talk at the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery on Saturday, at 2pm. 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, including those of three soldiers of the 68th Light Infantry - the forerunner of the Durham Light Infantry.

Tickets for the talk are £4, or £3 for concessions, £2.25 for children. They are available in advance from the DLI on (0191) 384 2214.