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.

Cap Badges.

Tags

British Army, cap badges, Cecil Studios, Cecil Studios Hull, Hull, Hull City of Culture 2017, Military History, military insignia, old photographs, Photography, Physical Training Instructor, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, PTI, studio portrait., Yorkshire

Looking smart.

I have spent the last hour looking at cap badges on-line and I’m still not entirely sure which one this chap is wearing! I think it is the cap badge of the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire, created in 1958, with the amalgamation of two Yorkshire based Regiments and has since been amalgamated with two more regiments to form the Yorkshire Regiment. I can’t make out the Divisional insignia on his right sleeve, but I think the badge below depicted crossed sabres, the badge of the British Army’s physical training instructors.

Sadly, I haven’t been able to find out anything regarding, “Cecil Studios, Hull“.

Striking A Pose, Margate.

Tags

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.

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?

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.

Rural Idylls.

Tags

cottage, Ephemera, farm house, old photographs, portrait photography, rural idyll, Scarborough., Shield Row, studio portrait.

Both of these studio portraits seems to be referencing a very romantic view of country life.

A couple pose by a garden wall in front of a country cottage, which is actually a painted backdrop hanging in a photographic studio in Scarborough (on the back of the photograph is printed “E Taylor. 63 Eastboro[ugh]. Scarboro[ugh]“). The garden wall appears to have a rather rough, realistic, texture to it, whilst the cottage is a rather fantastic assortment of architectural feature, complete with flowers climbing up the wall.

In the second photograph a lady stand behind a crude constructed gate or fence, which stands at the end of a country lane. The lane is lined with clumps of flowers and in the distance can be seen a very stylised pair of buildings; a farm house possibly, with some very substantial trees behind it. The back of this photograph only has half of a label, “Stephen Young, Shields Row, S…“. Could that be Shields Row, Stanley, County Durham? It appears that Shields Row is not a common place name or so it would seem following my internet search engine enquiries.

What do these photographs tell us? Perhaps they’re about an increasingly urban and industrialised society looking back to an idealised vision of it’s rural beginnings.

Ilford High Road.

Tags

bow ties, Ephemera, F G Paget, High Road Ilford, Ilford, moustache, old photographs, studio portrait.

Exactly how this photograph made its way up to Lincolnshire from Ilford we will probably never know, but on the reverse is written “Alf & Billie, 1920”, so presumably it was either delivered to them by hand or in a letter that the photograph has long since been parted from.

The photographer, “F. G. Paget, 195 High Road, Ilford“, must have had quite a substantial studio, because that is a very impressive backdrop behind this charming couple. I think Mr. Paget must have taken on a lot of wedding related commissions, because the couple’s wedding rings are clearly on display and the composition of the photograph reminds me of the signing of the register photographs common to most modern wedding albums (either that or the position of the hands is a complete coincidence).

The Three Graces.

Tags

Ephemera, Grannies Parlour, Hull, Hull City of Culture 2017, old photographs, Photography, portrait photography, studio portrait.

I thought this portrait had a distinctly Pre-Raphaelite look about it with when I first discovered and I very quickly filed it away to one side before continuing the search through the box I’d found it in [sadly there wasn’t anything like it or even an photograph of the same sitter that might help shed some light on the photographs provenance].  It reminded me of “Autumn Leaves” by John Everett Millais, which I vaguely recall from Manchester Art Gallery, although the sitter is a bit older and her attire is more Bohemian.

It looks like a lot of thought has gone into this portrait, don’t you think? I would have thought a pose that leaves half of the sitter’s face in shadow would be undesirable, so I find the contrast of light and dark fascinating, but also rather surprising. Perhaps the sitter or the photographer inspired by the publicity photographs of their favourite silent era film actresses? The back of the photograph is blank, but I’m guessing this photograph was taken in Yorkshire, judging by the provenance of the other photographs along side it, and I’d love to think that, even in cities like Hull, studio photographers were aiming to instill a touch of Hollywood glamour into their work.

What a gem. It looks like the photographer has called on this lady at home [an indication of poor mobility on the part of the sitter perhaps] and has arranged a very interesting scene in the back yard. Look at the character in this lady’s face. She must have had a great love of photographs; note the photograph frame and photograph albums on the table beside her [and the pot plant; obviously a prized possession for it to be included]. I wonder how many more portraits she had taken after this one?

All of these photographs were purchased at “Granny’s Parlour”, 33 Anlady Road, Hull, HU1 2PG.

A War Household or A Photograph of Photographs 17/05/14.

Tags

1940s House, British Army, British History, Ephemera, interior design, Military History, old photographs, Photography, pipe smoking, RAF, Royal Marines, Second World War, studio portrait.

A photograph incorporating twelve individual portraits, in a range of styles and frames, with enough space left for two vases of flowers and some interesting period features; how could I resist?
At some point the photograph has been cropped, cutting off some writing that was on the back; presumably a description of what we’re looking at [curses]. We have been left with the date however; July 1945.
Whoever took this photograph must have had a very stressful Second World War with the welfare of what looks like five soldiers, three airmen and a Royal Marine on their mind for the duration! I wonder how they’re all related?
Note the soldier who is so addicted to his pipe that he wont take it out of his mouth to have his photograph taken!
For those interested in interior design, note the textured wall paper, the rather bulky lock on the door, the bannister rail and the bakelite light switch.