Dear Rog, I think this is you, but I know from experience that you will be quick to correct me if I get the wrong place, the wrong year, or - heaven help us - the wrong person. My guess is that this is you on holiday in New Brighton around 1951. Let me know … Continue reading Letter To My Brother
Tag: Calendar
Gog Hill
A photograph of the delightfully named Gog Hill in Elland from 45 years ago. Even then, it was a shadow of its former self, cleared of the layer after layer of houses that used to cling to this hillside. Generations of my wife's family had lived on or around Gog Hill, their stories woven into … Continue reading Gog Hill
Snicket In Halifax
No photographer worth his (or her) silver salts can pass this pathway off Old Lane in Halifax without taking a photograph like this as a tribute to the great photographer, Bill Brandt. Brandt's 1937 version of the scene ended up in New York's Museum of Modern Art. My 1980 version ended up as my calendar … Continue reading Snicket In Halifax
Dicka Smith
There's a name scribbled on the reverse of this early 20th century portrait from the Clark Studio of Blyth: "Dicka Smith." Given the time and place, there is a fair chance that Dicka was a miner. The strange object that seems to be supporting him was just one of the studio props that were popular … Continue reading Dicka Smith
That’s Progress For You
I have a vague memory of taking this photo somewhere around Luddenden some 45 years ago. Back then, it would have been unthinkable that I could make up for my lack of record keeping by tracking down similar buildings using on-line street-view maps. But that's progress for you - and, if I'm right, the mill … Continue reading That’s Progress For You
Kinlochleven
My photograph dates from the early 1960s when we spent a holiday at Kinlochleven in Scotland. Clearly visible is the aluminium smelter, which was still operational at the time - it was eventually closed in June 2000. The dam and hydro-electric power plant, which were built to power the smelter, still exist and provide power … Continue reading Kinlochleven
Girl In A Wicker Bed
This rather poignant photograph is from a collection of family photos, but I can't recognise any of the three subjects. Needing a caption for it, I came up with "Girl In A Wicker Invalid Bed," which sound rather like the title of a Scandi-noir crime novel. I can't decide whether I should try and research … Continue reading Girl In A Wicker Bed
And A Bit In Between
You could probably take a similar photo today of a bus crossing Burdock Way in Halifax, but there was something starker about the scene when I took this 45 years ago. In those days colour was for holidays and weddings and folk who had too much money. For the rest it was black and white … Continue reading And A Bit In Between
Through The Mill To Shroggs Park
This picture of Shroggs Park in Halifax comes from an early 20th century picture postcard. The park was one of the legacies of local mill owner, Colonel Edward Ackroyd, who funded its building on a piece of waste ground overlooking the Wheatley Valley in 1872. The writer of the card, Jeanie, talks about having "been through … Continue reading Through The Mill To Shroggs Park
alanburnett.com 