• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Birmingham (Candid) Street Photographer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Humph3
  • Start date Start date
H

Humph3

Guest
I found amongst some photographs one of my mother walking with my two older sisters and her step mother along, I think is Corporation Street back in 1935 just after one sister was born. I didn't take much heed of it until another two turned up which had numbers written down the side of them and realised it must have been taken by a street photographer. What is strange is, that all three of the photographs are taken from the same position. In none of the pictures did the subjects seem to realise their photograph was being taken.... I wonder if the camera being used, was fixed? Anyone know?

On the back of each picture is printed 'Movie Photo' and they measure about two and half inches square.

Does anyone out there have similar pictures and would like to share theirs with us?

Regards

Humph
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What fantastic pictures - I wish I did have some like this, they really are great.

In the second picture I think the one lady did see the camera and in the third picture I think both of them saw it as they do seem to be looking at something/someone.

I wonder if there was a photographers studio there and he used to come out onto the street to try and get business? If so it worked - if they paid for the photos.

I love the woman in the third picture with the dog under her arm (fox terrier? Don't see many of them anymore). All the rich girls carry their little lapdogs about nowadays - funny to see it was going on years ago.

Thank you for sharing them with us - they are great.

Polly :)
 
Hi Polly,

You are quite right I wrote the description without looking properly at all the photographs first, and I didn't notice the the woman carryinf the dog either.

What I do remember when I was a kid, the number of women who wore fox furs...... what would they say today???

regards
Humph
 
View attachment 54791Yes!! I've got one! I know there's another about somewhere - I'll have to find it.

This is my grandmother, with my uncle in school uniform. It's a 'movie photo', and the no. on the back is K81979. Uncle was born in 1925, and would appear to be about 12 (?) here, so I would guess it's late 30s.
 
Brilliant !!

We all seemed to have to wear school caps in those days. I was always jealous of the cap they wore at St. Philip's Grammar School, which had a very long peak.....
 
Great photo's Humph,just a guess but could these photo's have been taken by a newspaper,for a sort of, "meet the people article".
Street photographers didn't take a photo when they took the first shot,then they would say,"lets have another to be sure",so of course,all the photo's were posed.:rolleyes:
But your family in these wonderful pics are totally unaware,of the photo.being taken.
 
Hi Ray,

I don't think so, but obviously I could be wrong. The fact each photograph is numbered separately on the front of the photograph and therefore visible if placed on a board or behind a glass leads me to believe they were easily selected by the person in the picture. Reminiscent of the time I was on holiday in Guernsey in the early 50s as a kid when street photographers took your photograph and then handed you a numbered ticket to pick up the picture from the local photographers or chemist later on in the day. Michael Caine did a stint of street photographer in 'Alfie', although with quite a different development !!!! :)

Regards
Humph
 
Hey! Got it! Here's the other photo. Grandmother again - this time with my mother. Mum was born in 1916 and doesn't look above 20 here, so about 1936. I get the feeling it could be in Colmore Row - anyone have any ideas? This one has 'walking pictures' printed on the back.

View attachment 54797
 
I remember the street photographers they would set their camera tripods up on the pavement, focus on a position to get the best photo of people walking along, clamped it in position and the photos were shot & hopefully bought by the people on the photo. Len.
 
That was a clever find Polly. It would be great to trawl through all those photographs to see if one could find family members....must be millions out there
Humph
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top