When Daguerre presented his photographic method to the general public in 1839, he was well aware of the revolution that it was bound to create, although he probably would never have imagined just how far things would develop. Photography subsequently evolved at an alarming pace, but the first giant step, that of capturing reality, and especially human portraits, had already been taken. This pictorial revolution also brought about a change in the printed press, which was placed increasingly at the service of people with a greater awareness of themselves and their place in the world, and therefore became an instrument of power.           The printed press also made use of the telegraph, which speeded up communications and made news items much more dynamic. Furthermore, the use of images based on photographs added a hitherto unknown degree of realism and veracity.  Objectivity seemed an attainable goal.            The Crimean War served to teach military leaders that wars had to be fought and won in the newspapers, as well as on the battlefield. The telegraph enabled news to travel from the Black Sea to London in just a few hours. Victories were reported, naturally, but so too were complaints about the deplorable conditions in the hospitals. The press turned Florence Nightingale into a national heroine, enabling her to gain the support initially denied her by the authorities.            In a world where public opinion had an ever greater influence on political decisions, control of information became vital, especially in the event of a war. Propaganda was often disguised as news.                   M u s e o - Z u m a l a k a r r e g i - M u s e o a Muxika egurastokia 6, 20216 Ormaiztegi (Gipuzkoa) TF: +34 943 88 99 00 Fax: +34 943 88 01 38 mzumalakarregi@kultura.gipuzkoa.net