Jimmy Hare born in England started into photography building cameras in his father's camera factory in 1871. Eventually he became interested in taking photographs and with the arrival of gelatine dry plates making picture taking easier, he broke with his father who refused to make cameras that used the new technology.

Hare is sometimes promoted as the person who took the first snapshot when he lifted his camera above the heads of the crowd to photograph a hot air balloon that seemed out of control at a Paris balloon meet. As his fame grew, he moved to the US where he really made a name for himself taking pictures during the Spanish American War in Cuba. From there, his employer sent him to the Russo-Japanese War and then any conflict in the world he could get to including WW I. He became the photojournalist for others to follow as was often found in dangerous places looking for that great picture. ( )