Central Station observing the little things

I don’t have an exact date but this photograph of the old Central Station crops us in so many collections which always put it sometime either side of 1900 that I am comfortable with that.

What I want to do is explore some of the detail of the picture.  And the obvious  place to start is that the fine canopy which stretched from the station’s entrance out to the road providing shelter for what appear to be some of the grander passengers arriving by horse drawn carriage.

And there are plenty of horses, some pulling elegant coaches, others neat little cabs and still more hauling the humble cart.  But away near the entrance to the station, under the canopy is a motor car.

But it is what is going on outside that intrigues me.  Just outside the station two men carry on a conversation by the lamp post while a little away to the right a carter attends to his horse.

A little closer to the station entrance a man rubs his chin as his attention is caught by the photographer, while others just ignore him.

I would like to think that perhaps one of the figures in the picture is from Chorlton, given that the station served the township but that is pure romantic tosh and best left alone.

Picture; from the collection of Rita Bishop, courtesy of David Bishop