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 first image shows Friargate early in the 20th century. A rare motor vehicle is attracting attention. You can see the chain drive on the back wheels, as well as the spare wheel. The lorry probably belonged to one of the shops and was used for deliveries. Two Preston Corporation single deck trams pass each other in the distance and a rather precarious looking cart prepares to move off, on the right. The trams stopped running in 1935.
There is a lot of detail in these hi-res scans, so let’s take a closer look.
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. A few of them are still with us today such as Camp Coffee and OXO. Camp Coffee first appeared in 1876.
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.
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