'Ninety and Nine', 1890.

A photograph titled 'Ninety and Nine', showing an elderly shepherd carrying a lamb and holding a crook, taken by Colonel Joseph Gale (c 1835-1906) in 1890. This image of rustic life shows a shepherd resting at a gate to his field, a lamb under his arm. His faithful sheep-dog waits in the background for his master's next command. 'Ninety and Nine' is a Biblical reference. The Gospel writer, Matthew, recounts Jesus' parable, 'The Lost Sheep' - about a shepherd with a 100 sheep who goes out to look for the one sheep that had gone missing. Joseph Gale specialised in naturalistic photographs of rural life and figures in landscapes. He was one of the first members of the Linked Ring Brotherhood and was also a member of the Royal Photographic Society.