Now here’s an image with a story, but sadly not one that
wants to be revealed.
We are somewhere in Manchester possibly between 1908 and
1911 and the photograph was part of a series of glass slides taken to
illustrate the police duty of escorting a procession.
The original caption
simply reads: Procession: Sunday school.
The curator at the Greater Manchester Police Museum suggests
that it “may have been in connection with the Whit Walks but I can't be
certain. The location is presumed to be Manchester, but there is nothing in the
original to say where.”*
That said there is one possible clue to its location and
that is the bank directly to our right.
This was one of the branches of the Parrs Bank Ltd, which had premises
across the twin cities. Now given that
this is a Manchester City Police photograph that further limits it to a small
number of sites.
The road looks to be one of the main through fares into the
city which further limits our choice and points to Stockport Road, or Oldham
Road in Newton Heath. Now I can’t be
sure but the Parrs Bank on Oldham Road was on a corner which matches our
picture, so just maybe we have the place.
As for an event it might be a Whit Walk but these were held
in June and even given Manchester’s unpredictable weather the coats, hats and
scarves suggest sometime either in winter or early spring. So we could be looking at a Sunday school
procession or some other similar occasion.
The children and there seem to be a fair mix of the well to
do and not so well off are treating the walk as something to enjoy and while
one serious faced youth looks warily at the camera, the majority are just
enjoying themselves.
Along with the solitary policeman the procession is flanked
by women many of whom are wearing shawls some loosely over their heads and
others partially covering their faces.
It is a wonderful snap shot of early 20th century
Manchester and I rather think in time will offer up much more.
Picture; Procession: Sunday School, 1908-1911, courtesy of
Greater Manchester Police Museum, http://www.gmpmuseum.com/
*Duncan Broady, Curator, Museum & Archives, Greater Manchester Police Museum & Archive
Image number m50347 is a clear image of Parr's Bank on the corner of Dean Lane and Oldham Road.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeletePretty sure it’s not the bank at the corner of Dean Lane.
ReplyDelete