Camberley, Surrey, London Road c1912

Camberley, Surrey, London Road circa 1912. These two postcards by W. H. Applebee of Ashford were taken from approximately the same vantage point, but looking in different directions. In the first postcard, WHA712, we are looking south-west. It is interesting to note that the oldest looking building in the modern Google Street View, the half-timbered 'Old Thai House' is actually the most modern, it did not exist in that form a hundred years ago. In the second postcard, WHA1332, we are looking north-east. The Cambridge Hotel is still there, but has changed quite a lot. The Google Street View shows it as a bar called RSVP, though I believe that this has closed down now. Click the postcards to enlarge.

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Richmond, Surrey, The Quadrant c1905

Richmond, Surrey, The Quadrant circa 1905. This postcard was photographed and published by Frank George Case, of Richmond, Surrey, in about 1905. Frank George Case (b1856-d1937) lived most of his life in Richmond with his sister Annie and his brother Herbert. None of them ever married. This is one of his many postcards of Richmond. Most were cheaply printed lithographs by Morgan and Kidd, but this is one of his rarer real photo postcards. On the right we can see the Brown Bear pub. On the Google Streetview it is a branch of Next clothes store, but that recently closed down and the Brown Bear is now a branch of Robert Dyas hardware stores. In this busy scene a man with a top hat is crossing the road and there are many people going about their daily business. Click on the postcard to enlarge (300dpi).

For more old images visit the Sepia Saturday blog.

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Staines, Middlesex, The High Street 1933

Staines, Middlesex, The High Street 1933, showing the Majestic Theatre. The films being shown are 'The Blarney Stone' and 'Topaz' both of which came out in 1933. The cinema has been replaced in the Google Street View by 'Majestic House', but this has recently been demolished too, along with the old post office next door. Postcard by Charles Mitchell of Hampton. Click the postcard to enlarge.

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