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Pioneering photographer shaped modern nature documentaries
As Sir David Attenborough marks his 100th birthday, the broadcaster reflects on the early influence of Cherry Kearton, a trailblazer who transformed wildlife photography and filmmaking in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The birth of wildlife photography
In the 1890s, photography was a cumbersome process, dominated by bulky cameras that used glass plates and required long exposure times. These limitations made outdoor photography, especially of wildlife, nearly impossible-until two brothers from Yorkshire changed the game.
Richard and Cherry Kearton grew up on a farm, where their fascination with nature took root. During a walk in Surrey around 1892, Cherry-armed with one of the first portable cameras-captured an image of a bird's nest with eggs, believed to be the first of its kind. This moment sparked a lifelong mission to document wildlife through photography and film.
Innovations in the field
The Keartons' 1898 book, British Birds' Nests: How, Where and When to Find and Identify Them, became the first nature book illustrated entirely with photographs. To achieve this, they devised ingenious methods to get close to their subjects, including realistic animal hides like the "Hollow Ox"-a cowhide stretched over a wooden frame with just enough space for a photographer inside.
Cherry's technical curiosity extended beyond photography. He recorded the first-ever wild bird song using a wax cylinder and pioneered early wildlife documentaries. His inventions included a rifle-stock camera, later refined into a compact, roll-film device that predated mainstream technology by decades.
"Kearton's films captured my childish imagination. It made me dream of travelling to far-off places to film wild animals," Sir David Attenborough recalled in 2009.
Sir David Attenborough
A complicated collaboration with Theodore Roosevelt
In 1909, Cherry Kearton accompanied former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt on a safari in Africa, despite their opposing views on wildlife. While Roosevelt hunted animals for sport, Kearton focused on filming them, calling the act of driving species toward extinction "a crime against future generations."
Their collaboration resulted in the 1910 documentary Roosevelt in Africa, a commercial success that highlighted the stark contrast between their philosophies. Kearton's disdain for hunting was evident, though he tolerated the partnership for its financial and professional benefits.
Legacy and influence
Kearton's work took him to remote locations, from the cliffs of Britain to the penguin colonies of Dassen Island, South Africa, where he and his wife, opera singer Ada Forrest, lived among millions of penguins to film Dassan: An Adventure in Search of Laughter (1930). This film, seen by a young David Attenborough in 1933, left a lasting impression on the future broadcaster.
Biographer John Bevis notes that the Keartons were driven by a desire to educate and share their discoveries. "They were very interested in spreading the word," he says, a mission that resonates in Attenborough's documentaries today.
A camera built in a shed
In 2026, a century-old camera designed by Kearton was sold at auction. The device, crafted from a rifle stock and roll-film technology, was a testament to his inventiveness. Wildlife cameraman Hector Skevington-Postles, who worked on Attenborough's Planet Earth, called it "incredible," noting its advanced features for its time.
Auctioneer Austin Farahar, who handled the sale, described the camera as a "naïve" but functional piece of history. "It works," he said, after finally deciphering its mechanisms. "Everyone in the office was going mad because I was making so much noise."
One degree of separation
Cherry Kearton's innovations bridged the gap between early wildlife photography and the modern nature documentaries that captivate audiences today. His work not only inspired Attenborough but also laid the foundation for how we observe and appreciate the natural world.
