Betty Burden - Picture Post photos 1951

[Mark Tooze]

These photos were on Getty Images and seem to show a day in the life in 1951 of a lady called Betty Burden who, according to the details worked as a hairdresser and lived in somewhere called Back Chapel Court (possibly Back of Chapel Court) in Edgbaston (although it does not look much like Edgbaston - possibly somewhere adjacent like Ladywood or Lee Bank - someone out there must know). They were apparently taken for a Picture Post article and whilst being obviously posed, do show life in the 50's back to backs very well.

Perhaps someone can nail the exact location and, more importantly, does anyone know anything about Betty Burden?

 

[Mark Tooze]

 

[Mark Tooze]

 

[Mark Tooze]

 

[Mark Tooze]

 

[Eric Gibson]

One picture made me smile, the little boy getting his knee treated, my old friend told me that as a child her school teacher asked them to write a story about her day, she had written "My mom cleaned my face with spit." her mom wasn't at all pleased.

 

[Eric Gibson]

Betty was a beautiful looking girl, nowadays many girls of that age would have been spoiled with ugly piercings and tattoos.

 

[Astoness]

amazing and iconic photos mark...i think we must try to find out more about betty and exactly the address she lived at...

lyn

 

[Mark Tooze]

Perhaps someone who has access to old newspaper / magazine archives can look up Picture Post from 1951? Sorry I do not have any more info.....

Location wise this one may give a clue as there is some sort of a chapel in the background by the looks of it:-

And she also seems to live on the top of a hill. Quite a big hill by the looks of it........
Getty Images is another of those online archives that is worth a few nights exploring. Thousands of local (to us) photos and all of exceptional quality.

 

[Pedrocut]

From Birmingham Gazette November 1950.
So did she just model for the pictures ?

 

[Astoness]

mark i am sure our researcher will want to get involved in this...what i always think about is what if bettys rellies know nothing about these photos of her...what a joy it would be for them to find them...i am just thinking that although called betty her first name could have been elizabeth

lyn

 

[Pedrocut]

And in December 1950.

 

[A Sparks]

Great photos!

 

[Mark Tooze]

And in December 1950.


View attachment 194519

Well found Pedrocut! The Edgbaston and hairdresser bits tie in with the picture captions anyway - perhaps the whole photoshoot was part of the competition prize?
I think the photos with the Midland Red bus stop in them were taken in Paradise St as you can just about see the Town Hall and Galloways corner in the background. Not sure about the dance hall?

 

[BrummieGeoff]

The quote below is from the Cregoe Street thread Post #40.

The first photo is of a butchers shop corner of Cregoe Street and Grt Colmore Street, we called it the Butchers Corner where I used to hang about with Brian Burden, Denis Beard,Eric Shaw and others, second photo of Bradshaws we used to hang about on the other side of the road, corner of Latimer Street and Cregoe Street, third photo, if you look at that sign over the entry by the car it says Meeting Room, Brian Burden lived down that entry (as we used to call them) went to Sunday school in the Meeting Room, Brian had a brother called Jimmy, sister Brenda and an elder sister called Betty, she appeard in an issue of the Picture Post, we all went our seperate ways when they pulled the area down, but Denis and I used to go and see Brian who moved to Bartley Green.

It appears many of the Betty Burden photos were taken around Cregoe Street. The building on the right in Post #9 above looks like Morton's Chapel .... presumably giving the name Chapel Court. It was in Court 11 Cregoe Street.

 

[Astoness]

The quote below is from the Cregoe Street thread Post #40.



It appears many of the Betty Burden photos were taken around Cregoe Street. The building on the right in Post #9 above looks like Morton's Chapel .... presumably giving the name Chapel Court. It was in Court 11 Cregoe Street.

View attachment 194522View attachment 194523

i know that photo well geoff....my gt grandparents lived in cregoe st 1900 to 1908

lyn

 

[BrummieGeoff]

The cover of the Picture Post edition that contained the photos.

 

[Mark Tooze]

Well done Geoff! Excellent detective work!!!!! You would win the award (if we had one!)
Can you lick/scan and post the whole article please? Interestingly the photo on the cover is not one of the ones I could find on Getty Images.

 

[BrummieGeoff]

Sorry Mark, I don't have a copy of the magazine. I found the cover photo on the "Old Pics of Brum" FB group .... posted by the great niece of Betty Burden.