Unlocking a little of the story behind that picture of the Kings Arms in Eltham

I am back on Eltham Hill at the Kings Arms, sometime at the beginning of the last century.

Now I have written about the pub and one of its landlords already so today I want to focus on what is going on.

We are still early enough in the history of photography for people to stop what they are doing and stare back with curiosity at the camera.

I have no way of knowing who these two men are, but the second with the striped apron is clearly a local shopkeeper personally delivering something to the saddlers.

Hand carts like these and the bigger delivery vans were a common sight and most who could afford expected tradesmen to deliver to the door.

In the same way builders, painters and other craftsmen who could afford it also had their hand carts or horse drawn carts.

I think judging from the shadows it is a summer’s afternoon and not a lot is stirring.

With a little more effort I should be able track down W Collins, along with saddler, and already the Dartford Brewery Company Ltd, date the picture to after July 1897 and 1924 which narrows the search to for W. Collins and Racknall the Sadler.

Location; Eltham












Picture; from the collection of Jean Gammons.