History – Page 8 – KEIGHLEY & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Walter Scott and the Brontes

A small set of postcards from the History Society’s archives that show the exterior and interior of the Bronte Parsonage around fifty years ago. The postcards were published by Walter Scott of Bradford in the 1960s.

Walter Scott (1878-1947) was a photographer who began publishing postcards in Bradford in the 1900s. After he died the company continued. By the 1960s the firm started producing colour postcards in an unusual 5½ ” x 4″ (139mm x 100mm) size. These Colour Series Natural Colour Postcards carried a large Walter Scott signature on the back with a small “WS” crest on the front.

Bronte Parsonage, Walter Scott Postcard, 1960s. From the KDLHS digital archive.

Interior Bronte Parsonage, Walter Scott Postcard, 1960s. From the KDLHS digital archive.

Apostles cabinet, Bronte Parsonage, Walter Scott Postcard, 1960s. From the KDLHS digital archive.

‘Reliable’ Postcards

The ‘Reliable Series’ of postcards were published by William Ritchie & Sons, Ltd. in the early 20th century. Featured here are five examples from our archive of Keighley scenes from around 1910.

Graham Mitchell Talk

A reminder that next week’s guest speaker talk is coming up. Graham Mitchell is returning with the real story of King Richard III, the last king of the House of York, who died at the Battle of Bosworth.

The History Society’s monthly guest speaker talks are held upstairs in Keighley Library. Doors open at 7pm and the talks start at 7.30pm (usually lasting around one hour). Tea and coffee is available. Admission costs £3 (£1 for History Society members). If you are interested in becoming a member and supporting our work you can join for £10 a year at any guest speaker meeting.

King Richard III, by Unknown artist © National Portrait Gallery, London

1929 Factory Fire

This is a newspaper clipping from the 8th of February 1929. It shows a terrible fire at the Trinity Works of firm Smith Peace (Keighley) Ltd., who manufactured cast-iron saw benches, hand mortisers, spindle moulders, and planing and band saw machines. The company survived the fire as it was still advertising in the Ironmonger Diary and Hardware Buyers Guide of 1938. The clipping is from a scrapbook kept by George Crowther of photographs he took and articles he wrote for various publications, including the Keighley News.

The Final Chapter of a Keighley Bookshop

Reids Bookshop in Keighley closed its doors for good eight years ago in January 2011. The bookshop’s final location was on the ground floor of Airedale multi-storey car park at 87 Cavendish Street. The final owner was Gerald Brooksbank. He first joined the business as a partner in 1973. Keighley historian Ian Dewhirst dates Reids back to 1899 when a Wilsden man called Luther Smith began a book and stationery business at 10 Cavendish Street. He said that the bookshop’s name dated from 1927 when it was bought by J. W. Reid & Co. The bookshop moved to its final location in 1995. The photograph was taken by the History Society’s original secretary, Barbara Klempka in May 2006 and the advert is from a 1948 edition of St Andrew’s Review, the magazine produced by Keighley Parish Church.

Stan Boardman at the Kildwick & Farnhill Village Institute

Fifty years ago, in December 1968, Keighley artist and sign-writer Stanley R. Boardman (1915-1996) painted three murals on the wall of the Kildwick and Farnhill Village Institute. These murals are still there in 2018 (and are looking good for their age!). They have recently been photographed by History Society member Tim Neal. Boardman went on, in the 1970s, to find fame for his series of 1920’s Boy paintings.

When Hollywood Came to Keighley

Forty years ago, Hollywood came to Keighley! The climactic finale of the film ‘Yanks’ was filmed at Keighley railway station and the goods yard at the end of Cavendish Street (now Sainsbury’s car park) in the summer of 1978. Filming also took place at Steeton where an entire US Army Base was recreated. The film was directed by John Schlesinger and starred Richard Gere alongside over 800 extras including many recruited from the town. The film is available on Blu-ray and DVD from Monday 3rd December.

Yanks director John Schlesinger in a publicity shot taken in the railway goods yard at the end of Cavendish Street. The Victoria Hotel can be seen in the background.

The railway goods yard at the end of Cavendish Street, before it was cleared to make way for Sainsbury’s. Photograph by G. L. Kitchen, taken from the History Society’s digital collection.

The railway goods yard as it is today – the Sainsbury’s car park. Photograph taken by History Society member Tim Neal in 2018.

Souvenir of Haworth

A small album of photographs taken by Lilywhite Ltd. has been added to the History Society’s Flickr page. There is no date on the book but we estimate the photographs were taken in the 1950s.

Remembrance Day and Keighley War Memorial

In the run-up to Remembrance Sunday next weekend, we have published a series of photographs of the War Memorial in Town Hall Square from the last 90 years. 100 years ago the First World War ended, and a new world began. The example and experience of those who lived through it shaped the world we live in today. The History Society would like to add its voice in saying Thank You to all who served, sacrificed and changed our world. There will be a Remembrance Service in Keighley on Sunday 11th November, including a wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph at 11 a.m. followed by two minutes silence. (All the images in this gallery are taken from our archives and are published on our Flickr pages here.)

Postcard donated by the Atkinson family, showing the dedication ceremony.

Keighley Corporation postcard from around 1970.

Photograph by History Society member Tim Neal, July 2018.

Samuel Gott and his prize-winning model

Corporal Samuel A. Gott was killed in action in 1917 during the First World War, at the age of just 24. He was born in Cross Roads, near Keighley, and was an accomplished craftsman and joiner. His model of a Mansard roof truss won him first prize from the Worshipful Company of Carpenters in 1914. His model is preserved in the Science Museum Group collection. Records relating to Samuel and photographs of his model have been loaded on the History Society’s Flickr page. Our thanks to Andy Wade and the Men of Worth Project for instigating and researching this project.