My great uncle, Fowler Beanland, left his native Keighley in the early years of the twentieth century to work in Longtown, Cumbria. He was a great collector of photographs and picture postcards, and this photo of his "old friend", John Audley, comes from his collection, which I was lucky enough to inherit half a century … Continue reading The Longtown Cyclist
The Crown
The Crown Brewery once stood on Bradford Road in the village of Northowram, just north of Halifax. It was built in the 1870s as a brewery by John Eastwood, a local farmer who had turned his hand to brewing a few years earlier. The brewery closed in 1900, and the building was finally demolished in … Continue reading The Crown
Sitting On The Dock
This rather strange hybrid of a photograph and colourful daubing emerged from an archaeological dig conducted on the top shelf of one of the bookshelves in my room. If I created it, I have no memory of doing so. The woman in the photograph is my mother, and the man - Uncle Charlie - a … Continue reading Sitting On The Dock
The Cocoa Sheds Of Elland
When I took this photograph fifty years ago, this was all that was left of the premises of the Velcot Coco Company of Elland. They advertised their product as "Invaluable for infants, invalids and the aged" and said it "agrees with the weakest stomach and makes blood, bone and muscle". Oh, what I'd give for … Continue reading The Cocoa Sheds Of Elland
Four Girls In A Boat
A random dip into my overflowing box of "Found Photographs" comes up with a strange little print. Badly faded, creased and torn, it nevertheless provides a fascinating insight into a world long gone. Do a high-resolution scan and you can lose yourself in a Mandelbrot set of absorbing images.
Strangely Satisfying Shapes
The starting point of this image was a photograph I took in Brighouse Canal Basin thirty years ago. The shapes seemed more important than the details, so I messed with it a bit. The result is, I think, strangely satisfying.
The Beehive And Cross Keys
The Beehive and Cross Keys in King Cross Street, Halifax was built in 1932 following the demolition of two earlier pubs: yes, you guessed it, the Beehive and the Cross Keys. The new pub was a functional 1930s affair designed by local architects Walsh and Maddocks. Functional it may have been, but in addition to the … Continue reading The Beehive And Cross Keys
Walking Snaps
In the days before smartphone selfies, many personal photographic archive would be populated by "Walking Snaps". Professional photographers would line seaside promenades and take random shots of passing visitors, and prints would later be displayed in shop windows and be available for purchase. There is a wonderful naturalness about such photos - as in this … Continue reading Walking Snaps
Faith On Rhodes Street
It's a funny thing, faith. It asks you to park reason up a side street and wander the streets looking for meaning. Maybe there is meaning, but there again, maybe there is just an infinite greyscale of uncertainty. Or maybe there is just an old photo of Cross Rhodes Street in Halifax.
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