Monday, April 4, 2011

Photo Number 498

This is a cabinet card from Al. It fits perfectly with the theme this week of “groups.”

This is what Al wrote about the photo:

The photographer, William Henry Terry, was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire ca 1833, moved to Blackpool in 1870 and was there until approximately 1903. The 1901 census records him at 14 Crystal Road, Blackpool, he is listed in a directory for Blackpool as being on Church Street in 1902 (the address on the photo) but there is no directory for 1903 and he is not listed in the 1904 directory. He appears in another city (Huddersfield, Yorkshire) in the 1911 census so it appears he moved from Blackpool ca 1903. I think we can safely date the photo to ca 1900 - 1902 considering the apparent ages of the sitters. My grandmother and grandfather were both born in 1884 so this would make them 18 yrs old in 1902 - looks about right.

Richard & Mary Alice Blackpool

The only people I can identify for certain, based on the names on the back are: Mary Alice Hall (my grandmother, back row, right); Richard Williamson (my grandfather, front row, right); Martha Smith (back row, left); Harry Williamson (front row, left); Jack Smith (back row, second from left). I don't know which of the remaining young ladies is Mary Ann (per names on back), and that still leaves two ladies/girls unidentified. 

My grandfather was a mechanic in a manufacturing plant in Leigh, Lancashire, and my grandmother worked in a cotton mill. They are dressed in their finery for a day trip to the seaside.

********

Al calls this photo Happy Days at Blackpool.  Just think, these were more than likely all teenagers..what a stark difference between the teenagers today.

Thanks Al for sharing your wonderful photos!:)   

5 comments:

  1. There was a great tradition of travelling from the mill towns of Yorkshire and Lancashire to seaside towns like Blackpool during the "Wakes Week" holidays. Each town would have a different Wakes Week when all the mills in the town would close down (and most of the shops and other activities too) and people would travel to the seaside which, in this country, is never more than fifty miles away. Many of the local photographers would have studios in the seaside towns which would be open during the holiday season.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I saw a bunch of "modern" teens "hanging out" at a local lake-side park yesterday, body pierced, tattooed, loud, boom boxes, rattling skateboards and all of them were girls! Taking cellphone pictures of each other and gabbing on their phones endlessly (they never really did any skateboarding).

    I wonder if a 100 years from now someone will be collecting cellphone pictures and be trying to figure out "who is who"? :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wonder if the photographer went in and leveled all the hats so they would look level throughout. It is a really wonderful photo.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was surely a great memory of a trip with friends!

    ReplyDelete

Hi, Thanks for the comments, your input on these old photos is appreciated! English only please! All comments will be moderated! Connie