Robert Belcher Antiques

Description

A remarkable and highly evocative set of three matching Edwardian photograph albums, comprising an unusually rich and intimate photographic record of the life, surroundings and pursuits of a prosperous British family at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Preserved across the three substantial albums is a captivating panorama of Edwardian life, from the leisurely and elegant to the industrious and everyday. The extensively mounted photographs record family members and their country properties, farming and livestock, elegant garden parties, leisurely days spent punting upon the River Thames, touring and travel, historic buildings and monuments, industrial scenes, horse drawn transport, seaside resorts and street views. Of particular interest are the photographs documenting the emerging age of motoring, including early motor cars and motorcycles, alongside sporting occasions such as bowls tournaments.

Together, the albums form an exceptional visual chronicle of a privileged Edwardian existence, capturing not only formal occasions and grand surroundings but also the quieter pleasures of country life, travel and family recreation. The breadth of subject matter gives the collection considerable topographical and social historical interest, while the personal nature of the photographs lends an especially engaging immediacy.

Each album contains approximately one hundred photographs, many of very good quality and condition. A considerable number are accompanied by elegant handwritten inscriptions, identifying people, places and events and adding a valuable contemporary voice to the photographic record.

The three albums retain their matching form and appear to have been produced by the same manufacturer. They are neatly labelled internally “The Newlyn Album, Johnsons, London.” Their survival as a complete and coherent group considerably enhances their appeal.

A particularly charming and substantial photographic archive of Edwardian Britain, offering an unusually vivid window onto the world of a prosperous family circa 1910.

British, circa 1910.
Each album: 23.5 cm high × 28 cm wide × 3 cm deep.

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Many thanks
Wendy and Robert