This postcard of Cliffe Castle was posted on the 29th of September 1912. The original photograph dates from around 1910 when the house was the private home of the Butterfield family.
Cliffe Castle is a Victorian mansion, built as Cliffe Hall at the height of Keighley’s industrial prowess by architect George Webster for local lawyer Christopher Netherwood. It was purchased by the Butterfield Brothers in 1848 to serve as the family home and was used as a summer home by Henry Isaac Butterfield (1819–1910) from 1878, who set about having it redesigned as a Gothic castle by architect George Smith. At this point it was renamed Cliffe Castle. It then passed to his son, Frederick Butterfield, until his death in 1948. It was purchased by Sir Bracewell Smith (Keighley-born hotel entrepreneur and Lord Mayor of London) on behalf of the people of Keighley in 1950 and opened as the town’s museum in 1959. Sadly for safety and maintenance reasons, several of the features added to the ‘castle’ had to be removed.
The postcard was published by Hall & Siggers of Keighley (embossed in the bottom right corner of the front). Hall & Siggers was a partnership between Harry Hall and Frank Siggers who had worked together in Chelmsford. Looking for fresh fields from which to operate, the pair moved with their families up to Keighley in 1909. Hall & Siggers bought up the studio of Keighley photographer Alexander Jennings at 105 Cavendish Street. In 1919 the ten-year agreement between the businessmen was coming to an end. Siggers went to Leicester, and Harry Hall and his son Gilbert became partners in the business. In 1926 Gilbert became sole proprietor of Hall & Siggers, although his father continued to lend a helping hand well into his 80s. The business flourished, including expanding to a second studio in Skipton from 1927 to 1934. Up to eight assistants were employed across both shops. In 1935 the business relocated to 4 Cavendish Street. As a firm they took individual and group portraits as well as building and landscape photography. Their work was included in various official Keighley Corporation publications. Gilbert continued the Hall & Siggers photography business up until July 1955 when he and his wife retired back to Essex.
Postcard from the personal collection of Tim Neal. Colour photograph taken by Tim in 2022.
