The image is from a 1950s picture postcard of Bridlington. Neither the details (did cars ever look like that?) nor the colours are particularly realistic, but just seeing them transports me back to family holidays in Bridlington in the early 1950s. If you zoom in far enough you can almost see me and my mother … Continue reading Memories Of Brid
Category: Vintage Postcards
The Shape Of History
The raw shape of this scene is not all that different now to what it was when this postcard was first published more than a hundred years ago. Most of these buildings in this corner of Halifax are still in place: there's more traffic these days, of course, and those elaborate tram poles are long … Continue reading The Shape Of History
On Morecambe Sands
By the second decade of the twentieth century, the spread of cheaper cameras meant that it was possible to have picture postcards made from your own photographs, and such postcards became the WhatsApp messages of their day. The message on the back of this card tells us that these children were enjoying a donkey ride … Continue reading On Morecambe Sands
Change In Siddal
Like so many pictures of these parts from a century or more ago, much has changed in this view of Siddal near Halifax from an old picture postcard. So many of the buildings - the houses, factories, and schools - have gone, and the canal has long since been abandoned. The backdrop remains relatively unchanged, … Continue reading Change In Siddal
Bradford Texture
The printing technology used in the production of so many early twentieth century picture postcards was somewhat crude and resulted in many local scenes looking as though they had been produced by the French pointillist, Georges Seurat, on an off-day. However, if you Photoshop them and go to town with the "Texture" control, you can … Continue reading Bradford Texture
Is Water Best?
The image is taken from an old picture postcard from my collection, and it is a scene that most Halifax folk will be familiar with. The water fountain was presented to the town in 1869 by the temperance campaigner, Joseph Thorp. Carved on it is the slogan, "Water Is Best". Those wanting to test the … Continue reading Is Water Best?
Lost Treasures Of Brighouse
The beautiful Burne-Jones stained glass window I featured the other day were originally to be found in St James's Church, which stood on Bradford Road in Brighouse (between Tesco and Wellholme Park, where the St James Court flats are today). Not only did the church feature windows by Burne-Jones but also Ford Madox Brown and Dante Gabriel Rossetti: … Continue reading Lost Treasures Of Brighouse
Smedley’s Hydro
In 1840, Matlock mill-owner John Smedley turned his back on "a life of excessive indulgence" and dedicated himself to religion and hydrotherapy. His original treatment rooms were replaced in the 1880s by this magnificent establishment, which continued to serve as an Hydro until the 1950s when it was converted into offices for Matlock Council. The … Continue reading Smedley’s Hydro
Marching, Throwing And Flowing
The fine proportions of Halifax's Victoria Hall, the town's monument to culture. In the 1950s, I remember seeing a Scottish pipe band march down the theatre aisles during a colour slide presentation about the beauties of the Highlands. In the 60s, I saw endless wrestlers thrown from its canvas-floored, rope-encircled ring, and in the 70s, … Continue reading Marching, Throwing And Flowing
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