Welcome to the Website of Alan Burnett: writer, blogger, collector of old photographs, and devotee of all things pointless and inconsequential.
The Maid And The Watchers
This photograph, which I suspect dates from the 1920s, was in an old album I bought on eBay. The first thing to capture your attention is the maid, enjoying a moment of freedom – or sunshine – before returning to her duties in the big house. Then you notice the watchers. Who are they? And who are they watching – the maid or the photographer? There’s half a novel in this one little photograph.
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The Sirens Of The Gas Works
I know what you’re going to say – you’re going to say, “You cheat; you’ve used that photo on your calendar before!. What about 1st August 2024?” . It is not the…
The Quiet, Rhythmic Beauty Of Cleethorpes
There is a quiet, rhythmic beauty to the seaside that only reveals itself when the tide retreats, and this photograph captures that fleeting interval with striking architectural precision. The image is framed…
What’s In The Parcel?
This is a picture of my Uncle John and Auntie Doris, taken 75 years ago. I have lived with this picture all of my life – seeing it as a child, sticking…
Faique News
When I was in Anglesey a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of those wonderful paintings by Alfred I. Faique. He managed to capture the very essence of the…
Smokescreen
A photograph of mine from back in the days when smoke and steam swept through the ginnels and industrial waste dyed the becks and brooks. It was taken from Old…
Under The Tram-Lines
I’m quite fond of this photo of mine – fond of the combination of brutal straight lines and sensuous curves, and fond of the way your eye is taken on…
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