Archifdy Ceredigion Archives
ABY/X/24: Aberystwyth Yesterday: Local Photographs

Acc.2551

Ref: ABY/X/24

Reference: ABY/X/24
Dates: [c.1917-1970s]
Level of description: Fonds
Extent: 44 Items
Scope and Content: Local Photographs

Forty-four photographs, packaged together and thought to belong to a single family or connection. The central figure is to be a man who was already past the first flush of youth when in (RAF?) uniform during WWII. He poses with male and female comrades and features in what are likely to be wartime or post-war austerity wedding and honeymoon pictures. The wedding pictures were taken by a Brecon photographer, the honeymoon was at Aberystwyth. The man later appears to be giving away a daughter at another wedding.

These comprise: dated snapshots, many from WWII (ABY/X/24/1-16); snapshots of overseas bases (ABY/X/24/17-21); studio portrait photographs (ABY/X/24/22-27); wedding photographs (ABY/X/24/28-36); miscellaneous snapshots (ABY/X/24/37-42); and colour photographs (ABY/X/24/43-44).



ABY/X/24/1-16: Dated snapshots and photographs, 1917-WWII


1. Studio portrait, printed as postcard, of mother and son. Date in pencil on reverse.
31 March 1917.

2. Studio portrait, printed as postcard, of young girl posed with toys by Gyde & Pickford of Aberystwyth. Date in pencil on reverse, 10 September 1917.

3. Studio portrait, printed as postcard, of family group by Culliford of Aberystwyth. In pencil, on reverse, ‘Mr & Mrs Collins and Family, 1917’.

4. Snapshot of two likely soldiers in a state of undress posed with rifles outside barracks (?). In ink on reverse, ‘To Miss Bronwen Humphreys with best wishes Blodwen/Dicks May 8 1919’.

5. Couple photographed on beach, printed as a postcard by Sunbeam Photo Ltd., 82 Sweyn Road, Margate. In ink, on reverse, ‘Harry & Doris taken in 1938 at Cliftonville’.

6. Man and woman in (RAF) uniform posed outside house (see ABY/X/24/7, and ABY/X/24/10-12), dated 22 September 1941 on reverse.

7. Two men (see ABY/X/24/6 and ABY/X/24/8) in (RAF) uniform in house garden, dated 22 September 1941 on reverse.
.
8. Man in (RAF) uniform (see ABY/X/24/7) named as Gwili Lewis on reverse, posed by hedge, dated 22 September 1941 on reverse.

9. Portrait of man in tropical uniform (see ABY/X/24/6-7), shorts, tunic and pith helmet, printed as postcard. In ink on reverse, ‘Monday, March 16 1942, Bathhurst, West Africa’.

10. Similar portrait to above, showing same or similar man, but with different watch and belt, printed on same style of postcard. List of names, each distinguished by letters L or W, in pencil on reverse:

H. POWELL (L)
J. GEORGE (L)
G. THOMAS (W)
R. WORTHINGTON (W)
SCRAM J.M. OWEN (L)
DAVIES (L)
THOMAS (L)
VICTOR (W)
LUCAS (W)
T. EVANS (W)
T. SWAN (W)
J. PATESON (W)
D. THOMAS
NEW QUAY (WL)
W CHAMBERLAIN (L)
T HOLLEY (L)
H KNIPE (W)


11. Snapshot of woman holding young child in garden. In ink on reverse, ‘Wed. June 24 1942’.

12. Snapshot, finished with scalloped edges, of two women, one in uniform. In ink on reverse, ‘Miriam & Dorothy. Taken Sunday 16th May 1943’ (woman appears in uniform in ABY/X/24/6).

13. Snapshot of child from ABY/X/24/11 dressed in her mother’s uniform (see ABY/X/24/6).

14. Snapshot of half a dozen soldiers posed in and beside Bren gun carrier (T.13912). In ink, on reverse, ‘My Mate and I in front with the x on and a few of the lads in the back’.

15. Posed photograph of man in (RAF) uniform (see ABY/X/24/6-7 and ABY/X/24/9-10). He now has medal ribbons and a corporal’s stripe.

16. Snapshot of Majestic Palace hotel at unidentified (foreign) resort, men in uniform can be seen spilling down steps.



ABY/X/24/17-21: Snapshots of overseas bases


17. ‘Malta with Battle Fleet going out’.

18. Unidentified, with passing warships.

19. ‘India’, warship passing behind lighthouse.

20. ‘China’.

21. ‘Malaya’.



ABY/X/24/22-27: Studio portrait photographs

22. Young man, in heavy black card mount.

23. Young woman in cloche hat. ‘In pencil, on reverse, ‘With Love from your Cousin Martha’.

24. Smiling young man.

25. Young man, printed as postcard.

26. Smiling young woman, in card mount, taken at Ideal Studios, Hammersmith.

27. Smiling girl in card mount.



ABY/X/24/28-36: Wedding photographs

28. Young couple, the woman wearing a knee-length skirt, by J. Clark, 13 High Street, Brecon, [1940s?].

29. Early middle aged couple, the woman wearing a peplum jacket and a distinctive T pendant, by Jackson of Brecon (copy of ABY/X/24/30).

30. Early middle aged couple, the woman wearing a peplum jacket and a distinctive T pendant, by Jackson of Brecon (copy of ABY/X/24/29).

31. Informal snapshot portrait of wedding couple taken outside house (see ABY/X/24/29-30) [1940s?].

32. Wedding couple with friend/relatives, same series as above (see ABY/X/24/31) [1940s?].


32. Wedding couple with friend/relatives, same series as above (see ABY/X/24/31) [1940s?].

34. Snapshot of couple (see ABY/X/24/29-33) on Aberystwyth promenade [honeymoon?, 1940s?].

35. Bride and father of the bride at church door, in Pickford of Aberystwyth gatefold wedding mount. Father of bride is groom from above (see ABY/X/24/29-34) and sometime serviceman (see ABY/X/24/6-7 and ABY/X/24/10-11).

36. Wedding group, including bride and father of bride from previous (see ABY/X/24/35), in Pickford of Aberystwyth gatefold wedding mount.



ABY/X/24/37-42: Miscellaneous snapshots

37. Elderly woman on lawn with cat.

38. Man with cigarette and motor car (same man as in ABY/X/24/6-7, ABY/X/24/10-11, and ABY/X/24/29-36.

39. Two men seated on fence or crash barrier.

40. Two women posed with hay forks and hay pile.

41. Couple caught on camera on promenade, Movie Snaps Service, The Old Pier, Weston-super-mare.

42. Fizzy-haired man or woman with three elderly women.



ABY/X/24/43-44: Colour photographs

43. Family posed at gate of (holiday?) cottage, Llain (named on reverse).

44. Portrait photograph of two children in card mount.