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1920s photo (approx)

Maris

master brummie
No idea where this was taken but my Grandmother is in it ! Anyone any ideas ?

1920s.jpg

Photo lost during hack, but I had saved it and replaced what I am certain is the same photo
 
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Smashing photo Maris. I hope someone knows where it was taken. Which one was your grandma?

Judy
 
Henry Joseph Whitlock established a studio at 11 New Street Birmingham. assisted by his two sons Arthur ( born 1865 Birmingham) Henry junior, aka Harry ( born c1871 Birmingham ).

Henry Joseph Whitlock founded the firm of H. J. Whitlock & Sons of Birmingham and Wolverhampton. A studio named Whitlock Brothers was operating in Wolverhampton at 63 Darlington Street in the early 1900s. Firm of Whitlock continued as a photographic business in Birmingham until the mid-1960s.
 
I did think about it being Whitlocks but looking at what the people were wearing I thought it wouldn't be a photographic studio and maybe they had put their name on the photo as they had taken it. Maybe if I look for other photos taken by Whitlocks and see if it has their name on the photo it will prove it.

Henry Joseph Whitlock established a studio at 11 New Street Birmingham. assisted by his two sons Arthur ( born 1865 Birmingham) Henry junior, aka Harry ( born c1871 Birmingham ).

Henry Joseph Whitlock founded the firm of H. J. Whitlock & Sons of Birmingham and Wolverhampton. A studio named Whitlock Brothers was operating in Wolverhampton at 63 Darlington Street in the early 1900s. Firm of Whitlock continued as a photographic business in Birmingham until the mid-1960s.
 
Third row from the front, 2nd from the right. Cissie Bushell then Cissie Harris.
I`ve reduced the size of the photo to post on here.

Smashing photo Maris. I hope someone knows where it was taken. Which one was your grandma?

Judy
 
Maris
In 1921,1932 and 1940, H.J.Whitlocks were at 11 New St & Midland Arcade. Therefore , if taken between the wars, its reasonable to assume it was not taken at their establishment. The suggestion that it was probably taken by them seems likely.
Mike
 
Well there are several chefs and chambermaids in the pic so it looks like a staff pic from a hotel and there weren't many hotels in brum at that time with a staff as big as that so how about the Midland?
 
Could be Jerry, looking behind the group it looks like they are in a large hall or building seperated by a screen, there is also some sort of winch between the two womens heads to the right of the chef on the back row. Looking outside to the left there a some signs pointing left and right but cant see what is on them. The area outside looks like it is covered too so a large building. I was thinking of a railway station ?

Well there are several chefs and chambermaids in the pic so it looks like a staff pic from a hotel and there weren't many hotels in brum at that time with a staff as big as that so how about the Midland?
 
Interesting picture and thanks for posting it.

It seems to be the partitioned off (perhaps temporarily so) area of a large industrial type building. And probably the catering staff, with chefs, other kitchen staff, waitresses and even, perhaps, a majordomo in the centre. Could it have been the staff concerned in organising a special major event in the life of the organisation?

It could have been a railway station although the area would have filled the entire width of the platform. A greater likelihood to me would be a large factory of some sort. The roof would indicate this. And the floor is concreted rather than paved. What is unclear is the area to the left of the picture. I wonder if there is more definition of that in the original image - and examination through a magnifying glass or a higher definition scan might tell us more.

It could well be the 1920s and I suppose that you can have a fairly accurate idea of that because of the age of your grandmother (although otherwise my own gut feeling would have been for a little later, perhaps the early to mid-1930s).

Chris
 
The flooring looks like coconut matting the winch is a gas light you can see the levers for adjusting to gas flow, the signs are typical of railway signs, but could not be platform signs as the lines would be running through where they are standing
 
Chris, my Grandmother was born in 1902 give or take a year and doesn't look that old in the photo.

.......(although otherwise my own gut feeling would have been for a little later, perhaps the early to mid-1930s).

Chris
 
I`m new here and dont want to hog your storage so I`ve uploaded a higher res scan onto a webserver here for those interested. It looks like an R on the maids hats.

Maris
 
Thanks for that, Maris. Wonderful picture, with an amazing amount of detail.

The frustrating thing is that the background is of course not in focus. From what one can see, the roof structure looks unusual, with a lot of cross bracing and in one area almost a latticework. The signs to the left remain tantalising and they certainly look like railway signs. And in what other environment would one have large signs like that either within or just outside a large building, other than in a railway station? I wonder if anybody knows what the roofs of Snow Hill and New Street stations were like at that time.

I still think it is a group of catering staff, perhaps with others in the picture. The waitresses are all numbered, presumably allocated to particular tables. The chef, back row second left, has a disgracefully dirty "white" coat on; but on the other hand everybody else is spick and span. I like the lady on the extreme right who obviously prefers to be photographed in profile and otherwise treats the camera with disdain. As you say the waitresses seem to have the letter "R" on their caps, presumably the name of the company or hotel which employ them.

All one can say for reasonably certain is that the picture was taken in the spring. (Daffodils on the table - they won't be plastic!).

As for your grandmother, far be it from me to try to assess the age of a lady. But (if I have identified her correctly) I do feel that she could fall within quite a wide age range and I suppose that the only way of establishing it is for you to compare the image with photographs of her from a known date.

How nice it would be to establish when, where and why.

Chris
 
Thanks Chris, I wasn't sure anyone else would find it interesting. My wife also says it is difficult to tell the ladies age and could be anything up to 30 but she got married when she was 27 in 1929, would she have worked after that ? I don`t know.
Ive got another one to post of my Grandad and his brothers and sister taken in about 1905.
Also one taken in 1940s at a guess at the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes in Birmingham somewhere I assume, possibly Acocks Green, maybe someone will know !

.........

As for your grandmother, far be it from me to try to assess the age of a lady. But (if I have identified her correctly) I do feel that she could fall within quite a wide age range and I suppose that the only way of establishing it is for you to compare the image with photographs of her from a known date.

How nice it would be to establish when, where and why.

Chris
 
very interesting picture signs top left may indicate a railway station and some of the waitresses have different numbers could be table numbers? for a Hotel ? we may never know but a nice picture:)
 
Hi

Just a guess it could be the Interior of the Queens Hotel.
It backed onto the LNWR side of New Street.
Platform 1a and 1b ran right alongside the Hotel.
A look at the Layout it could have been taken in the
First Class Dining room.

Mike Jenks
 
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