“In the Orkneys” (WWI)

These postcards were acquired by a British or American sailor during the First World War.  They were probably made available to the men as keepsakes of their service.  In the image above, a line of sailors is visible in the distance, probably on a brief leave to sightsee.

The snowy hills on the island below have an otherworldly aspect that’s accentuated by black water, a heavy sky and the dark outline of a distant warship.