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?

Empty Bottles and Old Cameras, Seamus O’Donnell’s Irish Bar, 13 St. Nicholas Street, Bristol, 27/04/15.

Tags

bottles, cameras, Irish bar, mirrors, Photography, Public houses, pubs, Reflections, Seamus O'Donnell's Irish Bar Bristol, St Nicholas Street Bristol, window

“Smile!”

To quote from the pubs website, “Seamus O’Donnell’s is reassuringly and unashamedly old-fashioned” and I got that impression as I walked passed. The windows were filled with an impressive collection of empty bottles, punctuated by old cameras.

I’m not a camera expert, I don’t even consider myself, with my digital camera, a proficient photographer, but all cameras have features in common and the examples in the window definitely had lenses!

Photo Archive: Pope Joan, St. James’s Church, Piccadilly, London, 2013.

Tags

bus, double decker bus, London, National Youth Theatre, photographer, Photography, Pope Joan, Public Transport, Reflections, St James's Church Piccadilly, The Legend of Pope Joan, Theatre

…also featuring the reflection of the photographer and a double decker bus.

“An atmospheric church in the heart of London, St James’, Piccadilly is the perfect setting for this play which tells the story of the legend that is Pope Joan – the first and only female to achieve Papal status. Controversial, moving and enthralling, audiences can witness an unfolding of unbelievable and prescient events that have profound parallels today. Unmissable“.

According to the National Youth Theatre’s website [I didn’t go and see it myself, but purely for financial and logistical reasons].

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.

Souvenirs: Postcard, “Terence Donovan: The Eye That Never Sleeps”, Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield, 2002.

Tags

Art, Art Galleries., black and white, exhibition, fashion photography, photographers, Photography, Postcard, Sheffield, Souvenirs, Ted, Terence Donovan, Terence Donovan: The Eye That Never Sleeps, The Graves Art Gallery Sheffield, Thermodynamic

I can’t recall if I read about this exhibition in BBC History Magazine, set my heart on going and then went to Sheffield to see it or if I visited in my free time during a college outing to Sheffield Hallam University, which is only a short walk from the Graves. Perhaps I read about it and then used the college trip as a pretext to get to Sheffield and see it [I certainly had no intention of enrolling at Sheffield Hallam or any other university at that time of my life]. Either way, it was the first exhibition I ever planned to visit and subsequently visited.

The post card features one of Terence Donovan’s iconic photographs, “Thermodynamic“, which is one of my favourites.

Snow, The A15 Viewed From The A1077, Barton-Upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire, 19/01/15.

Tags

A1077, A15, Barton-Upon-Humber, commuting, mobile camera, mobile telephone camera, North Lincolnshire, Photography, snow, travelling, Weather, white, Winter

Lorry.

South.

Trees.

Photo Archive: The Workshop Window, The National Coal Mining Museum, Overton, near Wakefield, June 2011.

Tags

anvil, coal, darks, flat caps, light, metal work, National Coal Mining Museum, National Coal Mining Museum England, old photographs, Overton, Photography, sepia photograph, waistcoat, Wakefield, window shopping., workshop

Christmas Tree, Leeds Corn Exchange, Call Lane, Leeds, 20/12/14.

Tags

architecture, cameras, Christmas, Christmas decorations, Christmas Tree, Cuthbert Broderick, Leeds, Leeds Corn Exchange, Photography, Wellington House Hull, West Yorkshire Camera: The Proper Camera Shop

The photographers amongst you might be interested to know that West Yorkshire Cameras: The Proper Camera Shop is situated in the Leeds Corn Exchange [it is just to the right of the tip of the Christmas Tree, in fact].

A certain on-line encyclopaedia informs me that the Leeds Corn Exchange opened in 1863 and was designed by Hull born architect Cuthbert Brodrick. As well as designing Leeds Town Hall, The Mechanics Institute (now the Leeds City Museum) and the Grand Hotel in Scarborough, the Hull Daily Mail informs me that Brodrick also designed Wellington House in Hull, which I photographed back in 2013 [https://anticsroadshowblogspot.wordpress.com/2014/06/02/photo-archive-wellington-house-hull-c-2013/]; it has since been demolished.