There is something rather special about a "Walking Snap" - those brief moments of history captured in the click of a seaside shutter. Armies of seasonal photographers would stalk the piers and promenades of endless seaside resorts, snapping holidaymakers and displaying memories in grubby shop windows. Here's my mother and my brother in Bridlington some … Continue reading Seaside Shutters and Displayed Memories
Decapitating Shadows
We are quite proud of our gibbet here in Halifax. For those unfamiliar with the town and its somewhat unique approach to the punishment of petty criminals, a gibbet was an early form of guillotine used in Halifax to decapitate thieves between the 13th and 17th centuries. The gibbet featured in the photo I took … Continue reading Decapitating Shadows
Something Near Life
There is a real pleasure in finding an old photograph - in this case probably more than 125 years old - which is fading into obscurity and being scratched and torn towards extinction, and rescuing it and sharing it. It doesn't matter that you don't know who she is - I don't either - what … Continue reading Something Near Life
The Arts And Crafts Town
I've shared this photograph of Blackledge in Halifax before - not on my daily calendar, however - but it warrants a second outing. I think it was about 1982 when I took it, and Beacon Hill was just beginning to gather the verdant covering we are familiar with today. If you ever needed to give … Continue reading The Arts And Crafts Town
Misery Carved In Granite
When my time comes, I wouldn't mind a memorial like this. There's an appropriate look of regret at the passing of the person whose grave she keeps watch over (at a cemetery in Bradford). There's none of your "it's a blessed relief" or "we can now clear the house of all his junk". Just misery … Continue reading Misery Carved In Granite
Visual Toothache
I took the photograph that was the start of this image the other day as I wandered around Halifax waiting for my dental appointment. Since then, I have poked and prodded it, scraped and flossed it, and finished up with something which is quite pleasant to look at. Not sure you can say the same … Continue reading Visual Toothache
In Praise Of Picture Postcards
I miss picture postcards: that unique combination of image and words and that alignment of the public picture and the private message. They have survived a century or more and provide us with a bookmark for all our history and for all our yesterdays. This one - featuring the Scottish town of Alexandria - was … Continue reading In Praise Of Picture Postcards
Living In The Stream
There is something rather sad about the fact that this is an unknown family member - such a characterful face, such a promising pose, should never become unknown. But she lives on, she graces multiple streams of social media, she continues to radiate charm, long after the horse-hair stuffing has deserted the armchair.
A Surrealistic Vision
It is now sixty years since I came across this scene - somewhere above Claremount Road in Halifax if I remember rightly - but it's a sight I'll never forget. It's almost as though someone had carefully composed the scene, bringing together car, cart, bathtub and a couple of old masters in order to create … Continue reading A Surrealistic Vision
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