Souvenirs: Photograph, Certificate, Leaflet and Map, SS. Great Britain, 27/04/15.

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Bristol, Brunel, certificate, Go Aloft!, Great Western Dockyard, map, Museums, photograph, Ships, Souvenirs, SS Great Britain, Ticket

The photograph is probably the most conspicuous of the souvenirs I brought back from my last visit to Bristol and the SS. Great Britain. To quote from The Great Western Dockyard Companion, which served as my guide, “GO ALOFT! Head to the Weather Deck to climb the rigging for a unique and exhilarating view of Bristol“. I must admit I didn’t sign up straight away, but I spoke to a chap who seemed very relaxed about the whole thing and before I knew it I’d signed my life away and emptied my pockets. You might not be able to see, but as well as a helmet I’m wearing a harness and I was clipped to a rope or cable in at least two places at all times. The relaxed chap stood on the deck and watched my careful progress up the rigging to a platform, on which stood a young woman who seemed perfectly at home at such a great height. With some encouraging, I managed to edge my way out and I had my photograph taken; as you can see! My four year old nephew was very impressed when I showed him the photograph and the certificate that goes with it describes my “Character for ability in climbing the mast and rigging” as “Very Good“, which I am very pleased about!

The passenger ticket is rather interesting. It has four stamps, representing the four stages of the ship’s life and four sections of the Dockyard Museum; The Ocean Liner, The Emigrant Clipper, The Wind Jammer and The Grand Old Lady. At first I thought these were a bit of a novelty, but as came to the end of the exit of the museum, which leads onto the ship, I realised I was missing a stamp [I can’t remember which one] so I had to run back and find it! Perhaps more museums should operate a stamp system to insure that the visitors to not miss anything.

“The Great Western Dockyard Companion” contains a map of the dockyard, a plan of the three decks and the dry dock.

Tucking In, The Imperial War Museum grounds, London, 24/08/14.

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Battle of The Somme, Ernest Brooks, First World War, Food and Drink, Imperial War Museum, Museums, photograph, War Photography, Western Front

A quick look through the Imperial War Museum’s photographic archive informs me that this rather striking image, now displayed outside the Museum, was taken by Lieutenant Ernest Brooks during the Battle of The Somme in 1916.  You can see the entire photograph here: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205194610. 

I started to look at Lieutenant Brooks’ other photographs in the archive, but it appears that he took a tenth of all the official photographs of the Western Front commissioned by the the Ministry of Information during the First World War, which amounts to 4936 photographs, so I didn’t get very far, but I can recommend the 401 I did look at this morning.

Lieutenant Brooks, as well as being the only official British war photographer at the Battle of The Somme, found time to photograph a whole range of scenes from across the Western Front; including members of the Chinese Labour Corps working behind the lines, Baroness Elsiede T’Serclaes and Mairi Chisholm nursing on the front line in Belgium and a British Tommy being awarded a medal by King Nicholas I of Montenegro.  

“Prospect Street”, Hull.

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Ephemera, Hull, ladies fashions, old photographs, period dress, photograph, Photography, Prospect Street, Studio Photograph

Here is another photograph I added to my collection whilst I was studying in Hull. The ladies names are not written on the back, but it does have almost illegible stamp, in blue ink, on the back that reads, something like, “B*erton [presumably a surname], photographer, 100 and something [135?] Prospect St, Hull”. Prospect Street is right in the centre of the city, so these ladies have obviously gone into Town especially to have their photograph taken.

You can see some other photographs from my collection here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121480122@N04/sets/72157643085991143/