In September 1855 the Crimean War drew to a close with the fall of the city of Sevastopol to the British and allied armies. Shortly afterwards Robertson travelled to Sevastopol to photograph the fallen city. This photograph shows Fort Nicholas, the principle fortification which had defended Sevastopol harbour. In order to prevent the re-establishment of Sevastopol as a Russian stronghold, the French destroyed Fort Nicholas in February 1856. Despite capturing the final chapter in the narrative of the war, which had been missed by Fenton, Robertson’s photographs appear to have drawn less attention from the press and the British public. This may have been because his photographs, despite capturing the destruction of the city, failed to engage emotionally with the British public.

From the collection of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII