A little bit of Leicester a century and a bit ago

Now the city of Leicester is somewhere I have only recently discovered.

The Market Place, 1902

It is home to the remains of King Richard 111, has some very nice bits, and above all is home to our grandsons.

So, I have been exploring its past and in particular the small area of Knighton.*

And today I have stumbled across a collection of picture postcards of the old Leicester.

They were produced by Tuck and Sons, who were one of the leading manufacturers of picture postcards, with offices across Europe and North America.

Entrance to the Market Place, 1902

Their Leicester collection spans the decades either side of 1900, and offers up a variety of scenes, from the Market Place, to the clock tower and the picturesque New Walk.

Many come with the same general description which asserts that “Leicester possess claim to a very ancient history, and has many well known antiquities.  

It is now a thriving town and is well known as the centre of the hosiery trade.  In the market place is situated the Corn Exchange, a handsome building and a  statue of the 5th Duke of Rutland”.

New Walk, 1902

“New Walk situated at the South east end of the town is a very pleasant promenade greatly frequented by the townspeople.  

It is half a mile in length with a fine avenue of trees.  

The Town Museum founded in 1849 is situated here.  

The building is in classic style and considerable alterations and additions were made in 1891”.

Municipal Buildings, 1902

Now, anyone who can access street google will be instantly able to match these locations with what they look like today, leaving me just to add a picture post card of the Municipal Buildings, which Tuck and Sons described as “a fine building constructed in the Queen Ann style, was begun in 1874 and erected at a cost of £51,000".

Location; Leicester

Pictures; The Market Place, entry to the Market Place, New Walk and Municipal Buildings, from a set of six, published in 1902, issued by Tuck & Sons, courtesy of TuckDB http://tuckdb.org/history

*Knighton, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Knighton

**Tuck and Son, http://tuckdb.org/history