The Story Behind The Shot - The Firefighter

Some photographs have stories to tell. Little tales of bygone times now out of step with modern life’s eyes. Sometimes the stories are hidden in the details, sometimes they hide in plain sight.

Take this iconic shot of the Tempest Photography team captured outside their former Mundella Works home in Nottingham.

Spend a moment breathing it in. Explore the faces, every single one alive with character, all on their own journeys of which they no doubt have many personal tales to share. Those little victories, the crushing defeats, full hearts and heartbreak. Note the smart style of the day, where a suit and tie were commonplace, and heads were frequently adorned with hats. Catch the cigarettes hanging lazily from the mouths of two of the assembled cast.

Then check out the man front and centre. The rows of buttons running across his coat, the impressive hat on his lap, his belt buckle catching the light. This is Horace Tempest, and his outfit is a little different.

The year was 1942, and as a part of the war effort, Horace had been mobilised for the cause. He served as a firefighter in his then hometown of Nottingham after the city had been devastated by the blitz some months earlier. Horace spent three years fighting the literal flames of war whilst also tending to the early buds of his photography business. This image holds both elements in the frame as a perfect reflection of the time.

Every picture tells a story, some tell many. This shot seems to have them in abundance. The fact that it dates back to one of humanity’s most turbulent times, yet still captures light is a story in itself. As for the other tales hidden within, we can only look upon the faces and ponder.