We are in Piccadilly and Queen Victoria dominates the picture. And according the Judge catalogue the image was added to the collection in 1913.
It was one of seven in a series on Manchester and included Albert Square, the Town Hall, Market Street, the Cathedral and the University and yes you guessed there is study group who may be able to date the series.*
But leaving aside the date it is the sheer amount of detail which makes the card such a treasure. Sitting on the steps of the Queen’s statute are two boy scouts. Now I can’t be certain but it looks like they may just have some cleaning implements at their feet which could link them to Good Turn Day which was introduced in 1914 and morphed into Bob a Job Week in 1949.
All of which takes me back to a date.
But there is so much more to see. There is the man who is casually leaning against the lamp post and the pile of discarded rubbish in the litter bin. Like others in the picture he is wearing one of the straw hats which seems to remain in fashion into the 1920s.
We must be sometime in the summer given the presence of women in blouses and our scouts without their coats.
The long line of trams reminds us that this was a busy part of the town with most of them destined to head down Market Street which would also be thronged with pedestrians on route down to St Mary's Gate or visiting the many shops and offices which ran its length.
And judging by the number of passengers on the upper decks of the open trams plenty of people have chosen to take in the fine weather on this summers day.
My own favourite detail is the horse drawn cab, number 382. As it waits for a fare the horse is feeding from its feed bag.
Now I doubt it will be possible to check out the name of the cab driver which as they say would be a whole new story to tell.
Picture; from the collection of Alan Brown
* JUDGES POSTCARD STUDY GROUP
All of which takes me back to a date.
But there is so much more to see. There is the man who is casually leaning against the lamp post and the pile of discarded rubbish in the litter bin. Like others in the picture he is wearing one of the straw hats which seems to remain in fashion into the 1920s.
The long line of trams reminds us that this was a busy part of the town with most of them destined to head down Market Street which would also be thronged with pedestrians on route down to St Mary's Gate or visiting the many shops and offices which ran its length.
And judging by the number of passengers on the upper decks of the open trams plenty of people have chosen to take in the fine weather on this summers day.
Now I doubt it will be possible to check out the name of the cab driver which as they say would be a whole new story to tell.
Picture; from the collection of Alan Brown
* JUDGES POSTCARD STUDY GROUP
Fascinating (Y) thank you Andrew !
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