09/05/2026
Heard about David Attenborough's original inspiration, from here in the Yorkshire Dales? Thwaite in Swaledale was bome to the Kearton brothers who effectively became the world's first professional wildlife photographers in the 1890s. David Attenborough has spoken admiringly of their pioneering work, which he says inspired him. Imagine - two little-known brothers in a tiny Yorkshire Dales hamlet.. leading to the incredible work done by David Attenborough!
The brothers were not rich and their first camera was a simple box camera but they were entranced by nature and their surroundings and went to extraordinary lengths to capture pictures of animals. Over time they started to use more complex cameras but they were all heavy instruments, using plate glass, so it was almost impossible to sneak up on a grazing animal in the way a modern photographer might do with a telephoto lens.
The brothers came up with some bizarre ways to get closer to animals. One of their methods used an ox which had been hollowed out by a taxidermist so the brothers could place it in a field or near a bird's nest, taking pictures from the inside of the ox, with the lens poking out from the head! After this success they used other 'camouflage' such as sheep, and made disguises for themselves such as trees and even a rubbish dump.
Thanks to Valerie Hunter for this lovely photo
