Photographs and thoughts on photography and camera collecting
This picture stands outside the door of the Eileen O’Connor Weber Historical Center, which houses the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society. We don’t quite know what to do with it. I imagine it was given to the Society at some point. I have no idea who the children are, but I find the picture profoundly disturbing!
Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XF 10-24mm f4
A while ago we (the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society) learned that the empty Wells Fargo bank on Pleasantville Road was to be demolished, but it wasn’t until just before the demolition was to take place that we learned the exact date. We weren’t all that interested in the bank building itself. Rather we were concerned about the fate of a mural inside the building. It was likely that the mural could not be saved, but we thought that we could at least get a photograph of it so that there would at least be some record.
We rushed over, but unfortunately we were too late! The mural had already gone. Needless to say we were disappointed.
However, our Executive Director, Karen Smith was recently going through some boxes and she came across what we believe is a paperweight. On one side it has a picture of the mural with the words: “Wells Fargo Mural” and on the other side an index to all the elements used in making the mural. Everything is encased in glass.
Taken with an iPhone SE II (first two pictures, remaining pictures scanned).
In mid-February I posted pictures of some beautifully embroidered post cards (See:Embroidered Postcards). There were two other post cards, but since they were different in nature and from a different sender I didn’t include them in the earlier post. Where the earlier posts were from someone called Arthur, these are from Wilfred who I believe was my father’s half brother. They seem to have been sent to my grandfather (who I never knew) and grandmother (the Mary to whom the earlier embroidered post cards were addressed).
One of the postcards shows a ship called the HMT City of Marseilles, a steam merchant built by Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd, Jarrow and completed in 1913. The owner was Ellerman Lines Ltd, London. Usually British ships are called “HMS” (His/Her Majesty’s ship, which seems to be restricted to military vessels). This one is called “HMT”. I was not familiar with this designation and looked it up. It stands for “His/Her Majesty’s Transport”).
Completed in January 1913. During the First World War, the ship was shelled by a German U-boat but escaped.
On 21 January 1943 the City of Marseilles stranded near Batticaloa, Ceylon. Later refloated but broken up in 1947.
On the morning of 6 January 1940 the City of Marseilles was damaged by a mine, laid on 12 December 1939 by U-13, 1.5 miles southeast of Tay Fairway Buoy, River Tay. The ship had just taken a pilot aboard when the mine exploded under her bridge, stopping the engines and causing a list of 10 to 15° to starboard. The crew began to abandon ship, but two lifeboats had been destroyed by the explosion and another capsized during launch, throwing the 14 occupants into the water. One crew member was lost. Screened by a Hudson aircraft (224 Sqdn RAF), the survivors were picked up by the pilot cutter, a RAF crash launch from Tayport and the Broughty Ferry lifeboat Mona and landed at Broughty.
The abandoned City of Marseilles was boarded by crew members of HMS Cranefly (FY 539) (Skipper H.B. Soames, RNR), HMS Sturton (FY 1595) (Skipper W. Buchan, RNR) and the harbour defence patrol craft HMS Suilven and soon thereafter her officers and a pilot returned to the vessel aboard Mona. The next day, the vessels towed her to Dundee where temporary repairs were made. The ship then continued to the Clyde for repairs and returned to service in April 1940. (Uboat.net).
I was going through some things the other day when I came across these. In case it’s not apparent from the pictures they’re embroidered cards/postcards. They appear to date from the period of the First World War and, if they were mailed, they must have been in envelopes because there are no signs or stamps/postmarks etc. They were sent from someone called Arthur to a Mary (in a couple of cases Mary Poole) who I believe to be my grandmother.
Fireworks pictures from me, overall concept and typography from my friend Antonio Mora.