John and Alfred Shaw were father and son and took their glass plate camera to many northern towns in the early 20th century. Their collection has been carefully restored. Many images of Preston exist that are a treasure trove of social history...
The Shaw Collection of glass plate negatives has been restored by the Cotton Town Project in Blackburn. John and Alfred Shaw were father and son and took their glass plate camera to many northern towns in the early 20th century. They were postcard publishers at a time when postcards were booming. The collection was donated to Blackburn Library in the 1950s, and they have since been carefully restored. Many images of Preston exist that are a treasure trove of social history.
The billboard is advertising the Empire Theatre, with shows at 6.40 and 9.00. A couple of aproned lads are waiting for shaving customers outside the barbers. At a time of cut-throat razors, it was popular to let someone else do the shaving. The street is adorned with lampposts and tram power poles. Inside the gas lamp you can see the two mantles that gave a much brighter light than a flickering flame. Most clothing was dark, as there was a lot of smoke and grime about.Above is Church Street in 1911. The posters give an insight into what was happening at the time, as well as providing dating evidence. Commercialisation was similar to today with many brands vying for attention.
The Festival of Empire was held in London in May 1911 and the poster features the new King George V. This was a major show and was expected to be opened by Edward VII, but he passed a way in 1910. Next to the festival poster is an add for Globe polish. These normally featured animals, especially cats. These kinds of advertising signs and posters were common in the Edwardian period especially at stations. Preston Station would have been the exit point for locals to visit London.
One of Shaw’s postcards is shown above. This was a common type of card often sold at newsagents. It features Friagate and a rather empty Church Street. Neat terraced houses parade down Deepdale Road along with tram power poles. Most houses did not not have white window frames; they were mostly dark coloured, due to the smoky atmosphere, making white impractical. New buildings turned black in a matter of months.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Edith Rigby road name sparks debate in PrestonThe Preston Western Distributor will be named Edith Rigby Way The news that the Preston Western Distributor is to be named after suffragette Edith Rigby has
Read more »
Driver who failed to stop for police in Preston arrested for multiple offencesPolice attempted to pull over this silver Nissan Micra on Stanley Street but the driver had other ideas.
Read more »
On the streets of Preston as homelessness grips the cityAs members of the public are seen giving their coats to rough sleepers, Preston faces a new reality of being Lancashire's homelessness hotspot
Read more »
Preston man searching for details of 5′ 1″ grandfather’s First World War exploitsSean is researching grandfather Fred's exploits in World War I A Preston man is searching for details of his grandfather's exploits in World War I. Sean
Read more »
Preston butchers who have gone from being at the bottom to the very topAfter 40 years in the business, the butchers have become a household name in the city.
Read more »