This has always been one of my favourite photographs from the late 1960s. I strongly suspect that the back yard I took this from no longer exists: indeed, nor does the house, nor does the street. And the view no longer exists. Gone are the cooling towers, the gasometers, and the chimneys, and all you … Continue reading Grand Scenes
Category: Old Halifax
Venetian Chimneys
Following on from yesterday's virtual day at the seaside, today we are back in Halifax, and where better than down behind Halifax Gas Works. I have always thought there was something vaguely Venetian about Halifax. Canaletto would have felt at home here.
Signs Of Division
These old parish division markers have been gathered together in a local park. They tell of days when localities were divided by poverty, and local Board of Guardians would endlessly seek to limit the boundaries of social responsibility.
Stepping Back
OLD LANE, HALIFAX Stepping back slightly from yesterday's photograph, this gives a better idea of where the snicket was - and still is. Again, this was taken in the 1980s, a time of transition for this part of Halifax. Old Lane seems to justify its name, the various mills seem to be in search of … Continue reading Stepping Back
Snicket Revisited
I took this photo 40 years ago. I have taken the same scene many times over the years; and so have many other photographers far better than me. The most famous version is Bill Brandt's 1937 "Snicket In Halifax", which forms part of the collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art. A classic … Continue reading Snicket Revisited
Halifax Mills And Hills
Two photographs from either the 1970s or 80s. By then I had left Halifax, but I would still walk around town with my camera when I returned to visit friends and family. These two photographs were taken in the Shaw Lane area of the town. The stark monochrome shapes of mills and hills in Halifax. … Continue reading Halifax Mills And Hills
Sounds Familiar
BRIGHOUSE NEWS : SATURDAY JUNE 26 1880 With nothing much to do other than read old newspapers, I found this article in a copy of the local Brighouse News from exactly 140 years ago. It was a report by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Britton, on efforts being taken to combat the outbreak of scarlet … Continue reading Sounds Familiar
Market Days
By chance, because my negatives are filed with the logic of a Trumpian tweet, another group of shots featuring Halifax Borough Market came to the top of the scanning pile. These are from the 1960s: the advent of decimalisation was a Godsend for picture daters. Pictures of the market always seem to be popular - … Continue reading Market Days
Footfall On The Flagstones
Halifax Borough Market in the 1970s: fresh-baked teacakes, brown paper bags full of fruit, slices of boiled ham. Crowds of people - constant footfall on the flagstones.
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