Picture postcards from the first decade of the twentieth century are relatively common: that was when postcards were the text messages of their day, and picture postcard collecting was the hobby of choice. By the 1920s new picture postcards were becoming harder to find. This wonderful colour photograph of Southgate in Halifax dates from that … Continue reading Postcards From Home : Southgate Setts
Author: Alan Burnett
Transcending Silver Salts In Hebden Bridge
A good vintage photograph is one in which the personality of the subject being photographed somehow transcends the chemical process of silver salts and hypo fixer, and flows straight off the pasteboard card. This photograph of an unknown woman from the Hebden Bridge studio of Crossley Westerman is one such photograph. Westerman established his "Electric … Continue reading Transcending Silver Salts In Hebden Bridge
Postcards From Home : Halifax’s Hospital On The Hill
No doubt the transport engineers who have spent a lot of time and money widening the road outside what is now Calderdale Royal Hospital would be jealous of the wide open spaces on this real photographic postcard from the early twentieth century. The hospital was opened in 1901 and went under a variety of names … Continue reading Postcards From Home : Halifax’s Hospital On The Hill
Random History : The Highly Gratified Poor
Today, our random time machine takes us back to 1873 and up the valley to Heptonstall. Ah, the good old days when Victorian values were paramount and if you gave someone from the poorhouse an orange they would be "highly gratified". "TREAT TO THE POOR - On New Year's Day (through the kindness and liberality … Continue reading Random History : The Highly Gratified Poor
A Chance At Wentworth
This is one of those chance photographs which had all the ingredients of a photographic disaster which somehow came good. It was out of focus, the colours were all wrong and it resulted from an accidental shutter-press whilst using the camera as a crude telescope. I still think it could hold its own with some … Continue reading A Chance At Wentworth
MFP : Smile For Heaven’s Sake
My latest contribution to the Museum of Found Photographs is this lop-sided quartet from the 1930s. Where they were or what they were doing I am not sure: but it has to be said that they don't seem very happy about it. "Smile for the camera ... for heaven's sake, smile"
A Mesmeric Tea Party
If you were in Bradford on New Year's Day in 1881 you could have entertained yourself by going to the Mechanic's Institute to a "Mesmeric Tea Party", courtesy of Professor Kershaw, Electrician, of Southport.
The New Ty Phoon
On the back of this print is written "Our Houseboat, August 1946". There is also a location which looks like "Kashirit". The boat is called the "New Ty Phoon" - the location is probably the Indian sub-continent shortly before independence and partition.
Market Traders
This is a 1969 picture of my brother and myself. I was about to go to university - he was about to explore the canals of Europe.
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