Heritage in Black and White

As photography developed in the late 19th century large numbers of photographs were taken not only of people but also of places. The towns, villages and landscapes of the Lake District (often called "the most beautiful corner of England") were no exception.

On into the first half of the 20th century many high quality black and white, sometimes sepia tinted, photographs were produced by companies meeting demand for the increasingly popular picture postcard. Archives were accumulated by both professional and amateur enthusiasts for the new visual technology. This was the heyday of black and white photography.

The Victorian photographer Francis Frith commenced his collection in 1860 and by the time the original Frith business closed with the retirement of the owners in 1970 an archive of more than 365,000 photos had been created. It ranges from buildings, parks, street scenes and countryside throughout Britain, covering around 7,000 towns and villages. Old maps have now been added. Many of these views have been published in books of local heritage photographs, but now this massive archive is available for ordering over the internet in a variety of formats and sizes. By courtesy of Frith Content Inc. we are able to bring them to you here.

Here are some ideas.

• Hang on your wall a picture of the town where you were born.
• Add to your family history file a photo of the village where your great grandmother grew up, and maybe even from the same period; see it as she saw it.
• Give a birthday present to an elderly relative showing a place from their youth.
• Remind your husband or wife of the Lake District town where you spent your honeymoon.
• Decorate the reception area of your local business with local scenes.
• You can even order a set of four prints in the form of a jigsaw puzzle.

Click on a photo above for details of sizes, frames, ordering, etc.
For more photos and for other places, nearby and further afield
click the button below