Query about a trade union banner (dated 1 August 1920)

All good things eventually come to an end, and I am currently working on the Genealogy in Hertfordshire web site to get it into a form where it can safely and usefully be archived. There is a long backlog of Hertfordshire postcards waiting to be loaded onto the site - and there is an embargo on purchasing more (although I am always happy to receive digital images which augment existing pages).

Even if I am not buying I occasionally see interesting cards on ebay - and one has just caught my eye. It shows a procession, photographed by Albert Arthur Durrah (1890-1973) of Rickmansworth. A group of men are carrying the above banner. Can anyone suggest the full name of the trades union (which is unfortunately obscured)?

Ebay Page for the post card

H W Lane, Photographer in St Albans for nearly 50 years

Henry William Lane was a photographer in St Peters Street, St Albans from about 1890 until at least 1937 and I have started to collect information about at least his earlier activities. I would be very interested to hear of other examples of his work, .

Click Here for Time line and examples of his work.

Did Harry Andrée, a St Albans Photographer, photograph Queen Victoria?

Harry Curt Ernest Andrée was a German who ran the "Alma Road Studio," St Albans, between about 1896 and 1900 - allowing his St Albans photographs to be dated within a couple of years. He later became a photographer in Ireland, before returning to England.

Time Line & Photographs

The information I have so far collected on him raises two questions:

• In 1891 he described himself as an engineer but when he arrived in St Albans, circa 1896, he was a photographer whose patrons included Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales and the Archbishop of Westminster. The big question is what had he done before coming to St Albans to acquire such significant patrons?
• At about the time he left St Albans another photographer Montiville Evans started working in Alma Road. Did he take over Lane's studio?

The Watford Club perform "Les Cloches de Cornville" at St Albans

Having recently posted a picture of a Watford Choir taken by a local photographer, William Coles, in 1923 I was interested to see from the following news item that another Watford Photographer, Frederick Downer, was singing in opera in 1895:

 St. Albans - County Hall.  -  On Wednesday and Thursday, January 30 and 31, the Watford Club gave performances of Les Cloches de Corneville. The Co. were fortunate In having the services of so capable a comedian as Mr. Harry Buck, who took the part of Gobo in excellent style, being very droll. To this gentleman was also entrusted the duties of stage-manager, and he discharged this part of his work in a first-class manner. Mr. Fred Downer as the Marquis de Corncville looked and sang and spoke his lines remarkably well. He was heard to special advantage in the duets with Germaine, in the charming person of Miss Haig. This young lady took the palm of the evening among the lady performers, her acting being good, and she is possessed of a very sweet voice. Miss Buck as Serpolette was also extremely commendable. Praise must be given to Mr. A. J. Cook for his clever portrayal of the miser Gaspard. In the Ghost scene he was excellent. Mr. Richardson as the Bailie slightly overacted his part; otherwise he was good. Grenloheau was looked after in good style by Mr. R. W. Burge, although his acting did not come up to the level of his singing. The Co. all worked hard, and the choruses were given with plenty of go, and in good time. The splendid costumes and wigs used were supplied by Clarkson. The scenery, painted bv Messrs. Downer, Cottam, and Healy, was very good, especially the third scene in act one, painted b\ the latter gentleman, the Market Place in Corneville. A prettier set has seldom been been on these boards. Mr. J. F Gravcs acted as accompanist, and Mr. A. Cottam as musica d 'rector. A special train was run back to Watford each night.

More Information 

Can you identify any of the other people involved?

Dating the early photographs of William Coles of Watford

CDV back circa 1889

William Coles (1853-1938)

In 1881 William Coles was an assistant chemist working for Theophilus John Piggot, photographer, at Leighton Buzzard. By the late 1880s he was trading as a photographer in Queens Road, Watford, and was still trading there in 1926. For a short time around 1890 he also had a studio on the Broadway, Chesham, and by 1899 had a studio in Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, which continued for about 10 years. His carte de visite and cabinet cards usually have a negative number and the time line below suggests dates for various backs. Later backs say "by special appointment of Princess Eulalia of Spain - possibly after the Princess's visit to Watford in 1899. As a result if is possible to assign approximate dates on his Victorian photographs from the negative numbers and printing on the back.

Cabinet back circa 1900

Unknown Mother & Child

Unfortunately few of the wonderful portraits are identified - but perhaps, if your ancestors came from the Watford area you may be able to suggest a name.

He was also selling views of many local towns and villages by the early 1890s, and was producing a wide range of view post cards in the 1900s - some of which may have been from earlier negatives. He also produced a number of post cards of news events, which are normally dated.

More Information

Some Early (1850s) Hertford Photographers.

I have updated the information on some of the earliest photographers in Hertford.

The Monson brothers visited Hertford on two occasions in 1853. I have added further information to show how they were related and their later careers as photographers.

Thomas Vipond was another travelling photographer who visited Hertford in 1859/60. I have now discovered he continued as a travelling photographer for some time, based in Aylesbury, but later settling in Grantham. In 1864 one of Thomas's Aylesbury portraits was used by police to try and trace earlier activities of a pickpocket in other towns, which seems to be a very early example of the use of photographs in detective work.

In 1857 James Craddock set up a studio in Hertford with Hart (I have still not been able to identify Hart) but within a year the studio had passed to Arthur Elsden and James had "vanished" - except that I now know that he became a significant photographer in Simla, India, and that he, or one of his sons, was taking photoghraphs in England in 1880,
Arthur Elsden took over from James Craddock in 1858 and I have acquired an interesting carte de viste take in connection with a play "Payment on Demand" put on by the Hertford Grammar School in 1874. It shows "Vincent Elsden" but it is not certain which of the Elsden brothers, Arthur or James, it was. (Arthur Vinsent Elsden continued the Hertford photographic business after his father died.)

I would be interested to know of any surviving pictures from the 1850s taake by the above - or any other Hertfordshire photographer. Any earlier examples of photographs being used for detective work could also be of interest.

Who was a Rickmansworth Gold Medalist in 1901?

The cart reads "Gold Medallist - London 1901"

The detail, from a picture of "Bury Lane, Rickmansworth" by Albert Arthur Darrah shows a delivery cart circa 1910, but the only visible writing relates to the gold medal. So which local tradesman won a gold medal in 1901? Any ideas anyone?

Update of Hertfordshire Photographers & Post Card Publishers

One of the activities that is slowly continuing is the update of information on Victorian  photographers in Hertfordshire and also early post card publishers.  In the last couple of months changes have been made to the following pages - ranging from a revised date to new examples of their work and additional biographical information. Some of the pages are "work pages" in that when I get perhaps half a dozen references I will then consider adding biographical details.

Pages with Updates

George Avery (1839-1911) of Hitchin (1864-1870) & Kent

John Barnard (1841-1894) of St Albans (1878-1894)

Athelstane Basebe (1853-1909) of Hertford, Hemel Hempstead & Watford (and elsewhere)

Ernest Bedwell of Bedford - Bedwell & Bedford Series of Hertfordshire post cards circa 1903/4

Percy Alex Buchanan - School posts cards nationally (Also Photo Tourists Association)

Michael Chadwick of Tring - post card publisher

Atlas Church (father & son) of St Albans (c1881) and London

Julianna Dunn (1853-1935), photographer of Hemel Hempstead (c1886-c1916)

Thomas Benwell Latchmore (1832-1908) and son of Hitchin from 1864

Daniel Barton Skillman, post card publisher of Harpenden of Herpenden

J J & W F Southwood of Watford (c1900-c1930)

Valentine of Dundee - dated example of Hertfordshire post cards

1860's CDV by Avery of Hitchin (and more on his family)

Jan contacted me and and provided additional information on George Avery, photographer, of Hitchin including a link to a useful family tree. George took over the business of Samuel Debenham in 1863 and sold the business to Thomas Latchmore in 1870.

At the same time as updating the family information on the George Avery page I have added two early photographs from about 1863/4. One, which has the hand written Hitchin address on, is of the Rev John Henry Howlett (1779-1867) who died in Kent, and the back suggests that it may have been taken in Kent at the time George was moving to Hitchin in 1863.

I would be very interested to learn of other photographs taken by Samuel Debenham (in Hitchin, Bedford or Luton) or by George Avery (in Hitchin or Kent).

[I have not investigated the history of the Rev Howlett - comments will be welcome.]

Carte de Visite by Atlas Church, St Albans

Atlas Belus Church, and his son, Atlas Robert Church, seem to have taken on the studio of J. Barnard in New London Road about 1880 and only been there for two or three years before moving on. 

I only know of two examples of their St Albans work - and neither have properly printed backs or footings. (More Info.)

If you know of other examples of their work while at St Albans please let me know.

Dating Early Photographs by Latchmore, of Hitchin

Advert from Herts Express 4 April, 1867

This advert has helped me to date Thomas B Latchmore' early carte de visit as follows:

• 1865 Opened studio in Bancroft Street, Hitchin - distinctive back
• 1867 Opened a joint studio in Royston - distinctive back
• 1869? Opened another studio in Stevenage - no back known 
• 1870 Took over George Avery's studio in Brand Street, Hitchin - distinctive back. Studios in Hitchin and Royston apparently abandoned.

More Information

Frederick Dighton, Photographer of College Street, St Albans (1882-7)

This carte de visite, which is dated 1884 as been added to Frederick's Time Line - making it easier to date his work.

Samuel Debenham: An Early (1862-3) Photographer at Hitchin

I recently purchased a small pile of carte de visite by various Victorian photographers from Hitchin. In no case was the sitter identified but I set about trying to date them. Much to my surprise, and with the help of the British Newspaper Archive, I was able to date this card to between September and November 1863, although I still have no idea who the gentleman is.

So how did I do it.

An Advert for Christmas photographs at St Albans.

Lea Latimer Christmas was a photographer  who moved from Stoke Newington to Watford sometime before the 1911 census, and was still in Watford when war broke out in 1914 - and is of particular interest because of his photographs of soldiers. Towards the end of 1914 or early 1915 he moved to St Albans (with many more wartime photographs). I recently obtained a 1917 copy of the Herts Advertiser and found this advert - showing him at the same address as the earlier post card artist Karaktus.

See some of his war time photographs of soldiers HERE

Photographer updates

Post Cards

Updates, in most cases involving new CDV images, have been made to the following Victorian or Edwardian Photographers, to help with dating examples of their work.

Atherstane Basebe of Hertford, Hemel Hempstead and Watford
Misses M & A Austin of St Albans
Thomas Milburn Cooper of St Albans
Fred Downer of Watford
Thomas Benwell Latchmore of Hitchin
William Norman of Royston
Samuel Glendenning Payne of Aylesbury, Thame and Tring

Was this a wrestler? Can you help.

Karen sent this photograph, by W. Harold Cox, of Luton & St Albans. She wrote: I have attached a photograph that has alternately intrigued and amused me ever since I found it amongst piles of junk left in the loft of the first house I bought back in the early 80's. I have just come across it again. The back of the photo which read : PHOTOGRAPH W. HAROLD COX 29 Wellington St., LUTON  .  The Wellington Street address would indicate that the photo dates from circa 1914 when Mr Cox would have been 39-40 years old. It's such a strange photo - who is this chap, is it a self portrait? Why has he adopted such an odd pose? What's he telling us? Why wrinkly underpants and socks!? We'll perhaps never know but maybe somebody in Hertfordshire will recognise him as relative, or was he known as a local wrestler? Can anyone add anything about the picture or the photographer?

Post Cards

Old Post Cards of Aldenham and Stanstead Abbotts

Otter's Pool, Aldenham (Rawlings)

St Andrew, Stansted Abbotts (Martin)

Cats Hill, Stanstead Abbotts (Wolsey)

Investigating a HUDDLE gravestone from Watford, 1889

Sarah Huddle's gravestone

This cabinet card, by Frederick Downer of Watford, shows a newly laid out grave from 1889, also gives a negative number, helping me to date some of his other photographs.  I decided it would be interesting to discover more about Peter Huddle, who obviously could afford an expensive stone for his wife, and also about hi wife Sarah. I have therefore drafted a detailed Time Line for Peter Huddle and his wife Sarah.

It seems that Peter worked as a coachman before moving to Watford in 1865 to become licensee of the King Head Inn in Watford in 1865. This did not last long and he switched to becoming a fly proprietor, providing horses and carriages. He remained in Watford until he died.

Can anyone help me by explaining the meaning of "An Ordinary every Tuesday, at One o'clock precisely" in this advert?

If you know of other dated examples of Frederick Downer's work it would help me extend his biography. 

February Report - Stats and additional updates

There has been a lot of email correspondence and other activities related to the site during February, complicated by the fact that I have moved all correspondence onto my newest computer - while the master web site has had to remain (due to software incompatibility) on my old system. The following is a summary of the more important activities that have not already been covered in this Newsletter.

Statistics

Activity on the main site and the newsletter have been comparable with recent years, but the number of emails I have received appears to have gone up. The only disappointing thing is that while there have been over 230 visits to the "Donations" page there has not been a single donation into the online collecting box for the mentally ill in Hertfordshire. 

Prince of Wales visits Panshanger and Hertford in 1874

The Library at Panshanger

Old News

In 1874 the Prince of Wales visited Panshanger and he and some other gentlemen spent part of the time in shooting, and had excellent sport, bagging in one day no fewer than 760 pheasants, besides partridges, rabbits, and hares. The Princess planted a chestnut tree in the grounds in commemoration of the visit. The visit (which included the town of Hertford) was described by The Graphic which printed engravings based on photographs taken by Elsden, of Hertford.

While doing the update I added a press cutting dating the opening of Elsden's Mill Bridge studios to 1872 - providing a benchmark for dating his old photographs, and also an advert from 1876.