Friday 29 July 2011

Slough, Buckinghamshire, High Street c1926

Slough, Buckinghamshire, High Street circa 1926. Most of Slough High Street is unrecognisable now from pre-war times, but this stretch of the High Street has retained some of its old buildings. Postcard published by WHA. For more old photographs visit the Sepia Saturday blog. As always, click the postcard to enlarge.


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Wednesday 27 July 2011

Brixton, South London, 148 Acre Lane, Reveley Fish Salesman and Ice Merchant c1906

Brixton, 148 Acre Lane, Reveley Fish Salesman and Ice Merchant circa 1906. I think Reveley was Albert Reveley born 1885. This postcard was badly faded so I've edited it to bring out the contrast. The signs state 'This is the shop where you can obtain really good and freshly cured smoked haddocks' and 'Our customers tell us we sell the best fish in Brixton, A trial well rewarded'. The postcard was not posted and has no writing on the back. Unfortunately I don't know the identities of the people on the front or the publisher of the postcard. I have guessed the date to be around 1906. The premises is now a fast food outlet, but at least they still sell fish. Click the postcard to enlarge.



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Tuesday 26 July 2011

Facit, Near Whitworth, Lancashire, Facit New Mill c1906

Facit, Near Whitworth, Lancashire, Facit New Mill circa 1906. This magnificent cotton mill was built in around 1904 on the site of an earlier mill. It closed in the 1960s. The chimney has long since been demolished. The mill's fate is now very uncertain. This postcard, by an uncredited publisher, has a lovely colour to it. The upper half is light sepia and the bottom is much darker. Normally I'd consider this a defect, but in this case I think it enhances the photograph. The cart on the right has the words 'John Taylor Pure Yeasts and Sweets' painted on the back. This site describes a visit to the mill in 2011, you can see that the interior has some well preserved features and some spectacular tiling. Click the postcard to enlarge.



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Friday 22 July 2011

Halifax, Yorkshire, The Picture House 1913

Halifax, Yorkshire, The Picture House 1913. It is nice to be able to date a postcard so accurately. The Picture House opened in October 1913. The film advertised here is 'Sixty Years A Queen', a film about the life of Queen Victoria which came out in November 1913. The poster states that it will be shown on Monday December the 8th. The 8th of December 1913 was on a Monday, so we can say that the picture was taken sometime between October and December 1913. You can see more old postcards of this cinema on Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion here. The cinema closed its doors in 1960 and became a bingo hall. It is now a nightclub called 'Liquid'. We must be thankful that the building still stands. Postcard published by Lilywhite Ltd, Dunkirk Mills, Halifax. The postcard publisher has retouched the negative in several places. For more old photographs please visit Sepia Saturday. As always, click the picture to enlarge.



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Wednesday 20 July 2011

Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, High Street c1910

Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, High Street circa 1910. A busy street scene by an uncredited postcard publisher. Notice the geese on the left-hand side of the picture. Postcard courtesy of the Ken Lea collection. Click the picture to enlarge.



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Friday 15 July 2011

Frodsham, Cheshire, Bridge Party c1910

Frodsham, Cheshire, Bridge Party circa 1910. Sorry no 'now' picture this week. This is an entry for this week's Sepia Saturday. This postcard, by photographer John Henry Cross (born 1873) of Frodsham, Cheshire is very odd. It shows four young women playing bridge. They appear to be in a field, or perhaps by the side of a road. The furniture is clearly indoor furniture. Two of the women are dressed as men. Why? The way they are gazing at each other is curious. The women dressed as men are wearing what look like homburg hats (though the brim is not quite right for a homburg). The girl on the left is well dressed, but the girl on the right has a very frumpy woollen hat. There is nothing on the back of the postcard to explain the picture at all. The caption says "Bridge Party. L.S." What could L. S. signify? I'd love to know what the meaning of this picture is. A puzzle indeed. Click the picture to enlarge.


Wednesday 13 July 2011

Boughton Lees, Kent, The Flying Horse Inn c1906

Boughton Lees, Kent, The Flying Horse Inn circa 1906. The wonderfully named Flying Horse Inn is in Boughton Lees, just north of Ashford, though their website states that it is in Boughton Aluph. The pub is still in business and if you look at the pictures on their website the interior still looks how a proper pub should look. You can see another postcard of the pub, though not so old, on the Deadpubs website. If you turn the Google Street View camera round 180° you can see a beautiful village green. The publisher of my postcard was uncredited, but it was posted in December 1906. Click the picture to enlarge.



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Saturday 9 July 2011

London, Chiswick Park and Acton Green Station, c1908

London, Chiswick Park and Acton Green Station, circa 1908. The station was run by the Metropolitan District Railway (now the District Line). In 1910 the station was renamed to the simpler Chiswick Park. In 1931 the station was rebuilt to a modern design by Charles Holden. Although the modern Google Street View does not flatter the building, its clean lines are more pleasing than the Victorian original. Postcard published by Young & Co of Teddington. For more old photographs please visit Sepia Saturday. As always, click the picture to enlarge.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Addlestone, Surrey, Church Road c1912

Addlestone, Surrey, Church Road circa 1912. This postcard shows the junction of Church Road and the High Street. The shop is Watson's Post Office and Stores. Postcard published by W. H. Applebee. Click to enlarge.


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Friday 1 July 2011

Aston, West Midlands, Six Ways c1910

Aston, West Midlands, Six Ways circa 1910. Aston is a city within the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Six Ways was a major road junction, a thriving hub of activity. It has now been replaced by a dreary roundabout. The only building that has survived from the postcard's period is the gabled building to the centre-right in the Google Street View. Postcard publisher not stated.
For more old photographs please visit Sepia Saturday.
As always, click the picture to enlarge.



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