Tea Time on The Sea Shore.

Tags

Beach, black and white, dechchairs, Ephemera, hats, old photographs, pebbles, Photography, Seaside., seaweed, stones, tea., teapot, vintage fashion

I don’t know where this photograph was taken, I can’t even remember where I bought it, but I love of the idea of taking the teapot and the best teacups down to the seashore for a brew in the fresh air!

The lady on the left seems to be enjoying her tea the most or is she smiling at the sea view or the gentleman wearing the peaked cap? She is certainly not looking at the camera, unlike the lady in the stripy hat on the left, next to the young lady pouring the tea. The lady in the middle appears to be being annoyed by some sort of flying inspect.

The beach doesn’t look that exciting, with its stones and seaweed, but that could be because I’m use to the sandy beaches of the East coast. Can you make out the three chaps walking along what must be a promenade or seawall in the background? I wonder where they’re going? So many questions!

Does anybody have any answers?

At The Summit, 09/08/1934.

Tags

1934, cairn, collars, Ephemera, hats, hill walking, Kodak, Kodal Velox paper, old photographs, overcoats, Pendle, Photography, summit, ties, umbrella, walking

This photograph has one or two things written and printed on the back of it. What I presume is the date, “aug 9/34“, is written in pencil in the top right hand corner with “Pendle…” something written underneath that [Pendle Top, Pendle Tor, the first word definitely starts P e n d and the second word definitely starts with a capital T ]. I’m assuming the Pendle refers to Pendle in Lancashire, but I’m open to suggestions! Velox is printed on the paper three times, which I assume relates to Kodak Velox paper and a number stamped in green ink, 7 40, which was presumably placed there by the photographer who developed the photograph.

The trio seems very pleased with themselves and their rocky seat reminds me of the cairns found at the top of hills and mountains to mark the summit, so I assume they are having their photograph taken to celebrate the end of their walk up hill; I have had a couple of photographs taken of myself under similar circumstances. Unlike modern walkers they haven’t seen the need to don any specialist clothing, although the lady and the gentleman on her left have buttoned their overcoats up to the neck. Note the gentleman on the lady’s right is wearing a tie with what looks like a stiff white collar.

I wonder who is taking the photograph?

An Anlaby Road Portrait.

Tags

1920s, Anlaby Road Hull, bows, Ephemera, Hull, Hull City of Culture 2017, J J Payne, old photographs, Photography, portrait photography, short trousers, studio portrait., vintage fashion, wrap around coat

Here is another portrait from J. J. Payne’s photographic studio at 106 Anlaby Road in Hull [my first portrait by Payne featured a young lady in highland dress and can be seen here]. The lady’s wrap around coat, with its distinctive single button fastening it at the waist, was considered the height of fashion in the 1920s, so I would date this portrait to the inter-war period. The photograph is full of interesting details, but I think it was the bows on the little girl’s shoes that caught my attention in the shop. There is nothing written on the back of the photograph to indicate who the sitters are, apart from their connection to the Anlaby Road area of Hull, which is suggested by their choice of photographer.

I did wonder where the father was in what otherwise looks like a happy family portrait; at sea perhaps.

Waistcoat.

Tags

Anlaby Road Hull, Ephemera, F J Seaman, Fredrick Joseph Seaman, Granny's Parlour Antiques Hull, Hull, Hull City of Culture 2017, old photographs, Photography, portrait photography, studio portrait., vintage fashion, waistcoat

A three-piece suit was obviously deemed essential attire for a formal portrait by the gentleman in this photograph, even if the three pieces did not originally belong together. Isn’t the waistcoat striking? Note the chain running across this chap’s chest and through the button hole of his waistcoat. Perhaps the chain or the item on the end of it was regarded as such a prized procession, meriting inclusion in the portrait, that any waistcoat would do in order to show it off? Perhaps the waistcoat was an old favourite. We’ll never know.

The photograph was taken by F J Seaman of “Hull, York, Scarborough, Bridlington, Beverley, Blackpool“ and according to the Photo-Slauth, the F J stands for Fredrick Joseph. It seems that professional photography was the family business, but I won’t quote from Mr. Paynes’ blog word for word; follow the link if you are interested. I’m assuming that this photograph was taken at the Hull branch of the business, because I found the portrait in Hull; another find from Granny’s Parlour antiques on Anlaby Road.

Highland Dress.

Tags

Anlady Road Hull, Antiques and collectables, Ephemera, Fancy Dress, Grannies Parlour, Highland dress, Hull, Hull City of Culture 2017, J J Payne, kilt, old photographs, Photography, portrait photography, sporran

Note the detailing on the jacket, especially on the cuff.

On my last visit to “Grannies Parlour“, an antique shop on Hull’s Anlady Road, I found quite a few photographs worth adding to my collection, including three studio portraits of young ladies in Highland dress of varying degrees of authenticity. The largest is on thick card and show a girl with a feather in her glengarry cap. Sadly the photograph doesn’t have the name of the photographic studio on it anywhere.

Is this the same girl from the first photograph, do you think? But a couple of years older.

In the second photograph the costume is more fancy dress than highland dress, but the pose more than makes up for it; a young highland dancer perhaps? This photograph is post card size, but, like the first, it doesn’t bear the photographers name. I’m assuming it was taken in a photographic studio, because the wall in the background is suspiciously bear for somebody’s house!

The kilt is a little short!

The third photograph does have a name and address on it, “J. J. Payne, 106, Anlady Road, hull“, printed on the back. Sussex Postcards. info informs me that Mr. Payne is listed in the trade directories of Bexhill-on-Sea as a photographer in 1903 and 1904. He then appears in the Withernsea census of 1911. The studio backdrop is very elaborate; the young lady looks like she is having her photograph taken on the battlements of a castle!

I find these interesting because, I think, they are about cultural identity. As an Englishman, whose late-Grandfather was a very proud Scotsman, I never went as far as dressing in a kilt, but I inherited a lot of his likes and dislikes (in fact the last vinyl album I added to my record collection was by the Pipes & Drums of the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) and a feeling that I need to keep my Scottish heritage alive, even if it sometimes seems that no one is interested! Perhaps these photographs were a way for families in Hull to maintain that Scottish heritage; a heritage that has now sadly been forgotten.

Striking A Pose, Margate.

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Edward Cox, Ephemera, Footlight Notes, Margate, Margate Civic Society, old photographs, Photography, studio portrait., vintage fashion

What is going on here then? Presumably this photograph was taken in order to show the detailing on the back of the dress. Is it particularly remarkable? I thought it had a rather theatrical look about it.

I have only found two references to Margate based photographers called Edward Cox (note the name embossed into the bottom right hand corner of the photograph). The “Footlight Notes” blog features a photograph of the Chase Me theatrical review, taken by a Edward Cox. The theatrical company are shown outside their boarding house in Margate in 1914.

The other reference was on the Margate Roll of Honour, published by the Margate Civic Society. A Aircraftman 2nd Class, Eric Edgar Cox, RAF was called up for military service during the Second World War and died after ten days service having suffered from ill health for some time. He is listed as a partner in a photographic studio on Sweyn Road, founded by his father, Edward Cox. It also mentions that Edward Cox was the official photographer for the Dardanelles Commission, founded in 1916 to investigate the failure of the Gallipoli Campaign during the First World War.

“The world’s a cucumber?”, South Eastern Hotel, Redhill, 23/05/61.

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1960s, 9 Chesterfield Hill Mayfair London W1, Catering Houses Ltd, Cucumbers, Ephemera, hotels, London W1, Mayfair, Parker Esq, Period interiors, Postcard, Redhill, Reigate, South Eastern Hotel Redhill, Surrey, The world's a cucumber?, Vintage interiors

5 star accommodation.

I failed to find out anything about this postcard, so any comments about the photograph or the message would be much appreciated. The message is what intrigues me the most:

“…and now, what’s to be the phrase of the week? The world’s a cucumber?”

I wonder what Mr. Parker Esq thought of this message? Presumably it’s a joke between old friends! I also wonder where Mr. Parker Esq returned to Albion from.

Civic Pride.

Tags

Alderman, Anlaby Road, Anlady Road Hull, civic dignitary, Ephemera, Hull, Hull City of Culture 2017, Mayor, Mr Barry, old photographs, Photography, Plymouth Art and Industry Exhibition, Sheriff, studio portrait., telephonic communications, Victoriana

It seems that portraits of Kingston-upon-Hull’s civic dignitaries are very rare or at least I haven’t succeeded in tracing the identity of this obviously very prominent Hull resident by looking for portraits of the city’s Sheriffs and Mayors on the internet. The gentleman does look a bit like Hull’s best known bearded Victorian civic leader Zachariah Pearson, whose name was still commonly heard in the city when I was studying there [mainly because a public house on Beverley Road bears his name]. Pearson resigned from his last public offices in 1862 however and the reverse of the photograph informs me that Mr. Barry established his photographic studio in 1870, so it must be somebody else [unless you know something I don’t, which is always a possibility].

The reverse of the photograph is covered in interesting details about the photographer, Mr. Barry, for example, he received a “Honourable Mention For Excellence In Photographs” at the Plymouth Art and Industry Exhibition in 1881. The rest of the reverse you can read for yourself, but If I had to point out one more thing it would be that Mr. Barry’s Town Office has a means of “telephonic communication” on the premises. Was Mr. Barry as pioneer of the telephone in Hull as well as a talented photographer?

Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1920’s.

Tags

1920s, Ephemera, motorcycle and sidecar, old photographs, Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, vintage motorcycles, William Shakespeare

It is a common enough picture postcard view of Stratford-upon-Avon, but with enough of a 1920’s twisted to catch my attention. Note the motorcycle and sidecar combination parked up by the curb; perhaps it belongs to the photographer. The photographer must have been quite remarkable, because two of the passers by are looking straight into the camera (the lady on the left and gentleman wearing a flat cap; half hidden behind the chap in plus fours who is strutting across the scene blissfully unaware the photograph is being taken). On the right a lady is striding very confidently towards the camera and across Henley Street; I wonder if that is purely coincidental.

The Hat Wearers.

Tags

Ephemera, hats, Louth, millinery, old photographs, portrait photography, studio portrait.

The back of this photograph is blank, but there could be a Lincolnshire connection because I purchased it in Louth.