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Old street pics..

Great Western Railway Chain Horse helping another horse with a loaded flat trolley up the Pitsford Street slope from Hockley Goods Station in the 1930’s. At the top of the hill the ‘Chain Horse’ would be detached and returned to assist the next cart. In the background is the Hockley Inwards shed and Warehouse complete with 1930 extension to see this extension under construction from other side). A single horse was expected to pull about two tons on one of these trolleys. There was a box seat for the driver ten inches above the trolley floor level, but no mechanical brake. The canvas hood was secured to multiple arched hoops which could be repositioned to protect the load from inclement weather.
 

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Houses 16 - 23 Holland Street. A large building in the distance has what looks like an early type telegraph pole on the roof and a large chimney on the site. I often try to read the notices on walls and the second enlarged pic shows a notice about an Annual Meeting at Camden St Council School and Councillor Tonks, JP. is involved.
t16-23HollandSt.jpg

21_HollandSt.jpg
shoothill
The backs of these houses can be seen in the Courtyards and yards thread
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...ourtyards-and-yards-of-brum.40378/post-642359
 
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I am a little mystified by the numbering of this photo. Below is a map c1889. Numbering has not, as far as I can see been changed over period 1876 -1910 and was consecutive (1,2,3...). Yet directories say no 15 was on the north side , the last house numbered in Holland st next to charlottel st, and no 16 was the first numbered building on the south side next to George st. This does not seem to fit with the photo

map c1889 holland st.jpg
 
mikejee said:
I am a little mystified by the numbering of this photo. Below is a map c1889. Numbering has not, as far as I can see been changed over period 1876 -1910 and was consecutive (1,2,3...). Yet directories say no 15 was on the north side , the last house numbered in Holland st next to charlottel st, and no 16 was the first numbered building on the south side next to George st. This does not seem to fit with the photo

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I had problems matching the house numbers in the back yards with the house fronts seen in the street pic. The photographers almost always chalked the details somewhere visible in their pics but perhaps they have the street name correct but the house numbers not correct. From the maps it looks like the large building could be the New Hall Works on George Street.
 
A photo from the other end of Holland Street and again the photographer has chalked in 16-23 Holland St, rather faint to the right of first shop window. Two different women stand by the entry where the other women stood in the photo in #5411.
I suppose if he had already chalked in 16-23 at one end he would naturally chalk the same numbers at the other end.
x23-16Holland.jpg
shoothill
 
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oldMohawk said:
A photo from the other end of Holland Street and again the photographer has chalked in 16-23 Holland St, rather faint to the right of first shop window. Two different women stand by the entry where the other women stood in the photo in #5411.
I suppose if he had already chalked in 16-23 at one end he would naturally chalk the same numbers at the other end.
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As a
oldMohawk said:
A photo from the other end of Holland Street and again the photographer has chalked in 16-23 Holland St, rather faint to the right of first shop window. Two different women stand by the entry where the other women stood in the photo in #5411.
I suppose if he had already chalked in 16-23 at one end he would naturally chalk the same numbers at the other end.
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As a point of interest, look at how immaculately clean the pavement and road are in these old pics, kept that way by the women of the houses. Comparing it with our city streets of today, I fear we've fallen some way into slovenliness.
 
Lyn just going through the photos .Came across No84 Yardley Church.My friend lived in the house on the Left in1960 .His father Vic Saunders lived up the yard just past the bend were the Blacksmiths shop just sticks out.Great photo brings back memories.
 
In many of the 1950's/60's photographs on BHF there are scenes of empty, derelict houses and other buildings. It is a shame more are not of the preceding decades when they were inhabited or used.
The old Victorian/Edwardian photos whilst showing many homes, some ramshackle but occupied, there are also a few empty shops. Empty shops, it seems, are not just a recent phenomena.
 
mikejee said:
Alan
It is probably only in the period after 1950 that the average person had a camera AND could afford to buy film for other than family events
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I got into photography in 1975 when it would cost £4.36 to develop and print a 36 exposure 35mm film. My wages at the time were around £15.00 a week.
 
My first and only exploits with a camera were in 1954. When my family moved to Devon I spent six weeks in the Potteries. It got me out of the way and enabled the ditching of my BCT bus ticket collection and other things that youngsters collect.
I took many photos of pot banks (pottery factories), small entrenched parts of the Trent (rather like the Rea), Shelton steel works and some of the more impressive municipal buildings. In addition I got to know two delightful young ladies. Black and white of course.
I used my uncles camera and tripod - it was a good one as photography was his hobby - and used his darkroom to develop and print my efforts. On arrival in Devon I bought a cheap camera and continued taking some photos and developing and printing them but the interest in new scenery and subsequent RAF service at seventeen and a half put an end to it all.
I have never been a good photographer - my hands don't keep still :( - but my wife took many of our children, when they were young, using an old faithful box brownie.
 
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Edifi said:
Used to be a avid trainspotter .Lived in Kitts Green and was at Tamworth every Sat with my Brownie 127 .This was in the early 50s.Still got some photos developed at Jeromes
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Might be worth uploading them to the Tamworth Field Trainspotting thread... it could alert a few old trainspotters on the forum ... :)

Tamworth field trainspotting

I too spent many hours spotting in the field at Tamworth in the early fifties. I caught a train from New Street which I think was a semi-fast to York and was originally hauled by a Saltley compound and later a Saltley Black Five. Coming back I caught a stopping Derby-Birmingham train normally...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
The photographer arrived and chalked 13-15 Allison Street on the wall by the entry and they watched as he took a photo. There seems to be a telegraph pole on the roof but a look round the back showed where it was.
13-15-AllisonSt.jpg

1-6 in Number 3 Court, Allison Street. A bowler hatted man seems to be checking something ...
1_5Crt3AllisonSt.jpg
shoothill
 
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oldMohawk said:
The photographer arrived and chalked 13-15 Allison Street on the wall by the entry and they watched as he took a photo. There seems to be a telegraph pole on the roof but a look round the back showed where it was.
View attachment 133020

1-6 in Number 3 Court, Allison Street. A bowler hatted man seems to be checking something ...
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he is checking to see if his mate ollie is here....
 
99-101 Hospital Street and a workman is busy pointing brickwork. Old clothes on sale at 101, A.H.Gold is a Designer, Modeller and Press Tool Maker, but what did Edgar A.J. Hooper do?
The house on the right has a stool propping open a sash window.
HospitalSt.jpg
shoothill
 
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