Walking in Alexandra Park sometime around 1906 courtesy of Valentine's Snapshots

Now like many people I have fond memories of Alexandra Park.

The entrance

And so I was pleased my friend old Ann sent me a pack of pictures dating from sometime in the early 20th century.

They cover pretty much the whole of the park including the lake, bowling green, clock tower, terrace and entrance.

There will be similar images from the same period but what makes these particularly interesting is that the pack is complete, includes the carton they came in and the name of the person they were sent to.

Added to this we have the name of the company which distributed them.

The cover

This was the Valentine Company of Dundee who began selling “topographical view photographs” from the 1860s, along with “a great variety of photographic goods from single framed images, to albums, view books and booklets, pictorial greetings cards and a wide range of photographic novelties including their innovative children's cut-out books.”**

All of which makes Ann’s pictures quite a find.

They were sent to Mark Brewer who was living at 25 Graswood Road, Fallowfield, and the hunt is on to find more, although so far he does seem to have evaded the historical record.

The lake

But no matter I shall continue to post more of his pictures of the park during the next few weeks.

For those who are also fans of the park I invite you to post your own pictures which could be taken from the same angle or just a scene you enjoy.

And just after this was posted Ann told me that "Mark Brewer was one of Howard's pupils at Wilbraham, in the early 70's. 

He gave the pictures to Howard."

All of which opens up a whole new raft of questions, for the pictures are nearly a full 70 years older.

So watch this space.

Pictures; The entrance and lake, Alexandra Park, from Valentine’s Snapshots of Alexandra Park, circa 1906, courtesy of Ann Love

*VALENTINE COLLECTION, St Andrews University Library, 1999