As this current year is coming to an end and many of us have missed spending time with our families, we thought it would be nice to share some of our family album collections. This latest addition to our memory box series contains images kindly donated to the Documentary Photographic Archive (DPA). This archive is a unique collection which documents the life of the Greater Manchester region and includes photographs of people and places from family albums, commissioned collections by professional photographers and deposits of photographic collections. Take a look and see if the photographs trigger any forgotten memories for your family of growing up in Manchester.
Dig out your old photos too, these can also be a brilliant resource to trigger fond memories of family times. We encourage you to share your findings on social media, either as comments on our Facebook page or on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #ArchivesPlusMemorybox
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If you are unable to share your photos and stories online, when the libraries are open, bring copies of your family memories into your local library. In the coming year we will produce an exhibition in your local library of selected submissions, shared both online and in person.
Please make sure that if you share any information with us that the person you have spoken to is happy for you to share it with Archives+.When sharing your findings try to avoid sharing too much personal information such as surnames and date of birth as these details can identify your loved ones.
Resources:
Unlocking Your Sound Archive have produced a blog about conducting oral history interviews with family members. The audio clips included in this online memory box have been kindly supplied by Unlocking Your Sound Archive.
The wedding in 1917 of Charles henry Dodd of th Royal Engineers and May Walder Butler who worked in service at Putney for the McCullum family who owned the tinned goods firm. Back row, left to right: Ernest Butler (donor), groom, Millie Dodd (groom’s elder sister), Mr. Whitehead (friend of the Butley family who gave bride away). Front row, left to right: Margaret Butler, Rose Quentin (Bride’s friend), bride, Nellie Dodd (groom’s sister), Ann Butler (bride’s sister). Charles Dodd was a toolmaker by trade at a time when London was a ship building centre. After the war he went into business with his brother in law, a man called Browning who invented and patented the first electric soldering iron, called The Browning Soldering Iron. Ref GB124.DPA/1927/2Wedding of Mona Lyon (a friend of the donor’s) and James Ralph. 1934. Mona was a handsewer at Affleck and Browns and made her own wedding dress. James Ralph had been a policeman in South Africa, but at the time this photograph was taken, he was a warder at Strangeways. The small children are cousins of the donor and the woman on the left is wearing a “Spanish Shawl”. Ref GB124.DPA/1804/8Wedding of Barney Benardout (see 1713/8), depositor’s brother to Rebecca Baruch in Seattle, c.1955. Most of the bride’s relatives were from Turkey. Left of the bride is depositor’s sister, Lena. GB124.DPA/1713/9Photographs Related To Mr L Wolstenholme of Eccles. The wedding of Neil Wolstenholme, the depositor’s brother to Vida. Taken outside the Registrars Office Jackson Row, Manchester c.1950s 1589/130 Group photograph of Mrs. Wilson’s wedding taken at Doric Studio, Kingston, Jamaica in 1954. All the dresses were made by local dressmakers. Mrs. Wilson’s dress was made by her friend Mrs. Muffet. From left to right: Beverley, flower girl at the age of 5. Directly behind stands bridesmaid and friend of the family. Next Mrs. Ellie, Friendly Society Sister and chief bridesmaid. Standing behind her husband is her late sister Nora. Behind Mrs. Wilson is another bridesmaid. Next her brother-in-law, Mr. Mills who was the best man. In front of him is her niece Penny who was also a flower girl. On the right is Coolie Helen, a bridesmaid. This photograph was taken on Wednesday 16th June, 1954, the day of the wedding. The donor, Mrs. Wilson of Hulme, was born in Kingston Jamaica. Her father was a soldier, her mother was a washwoman. There were 7 children in the family, Mrs. Wilson was the 6th child. She married in Jamaica. She came to England in 1958. Her husband followed in 1960. They lived in Moss Side.Wedding of Kartar’s eldest daughter Gursharon Kaur in Gurudwara at 23 Monton Street in c.1967. Dhunda Singh Pritam, the bride’s father is standing at the back. At the front, left to right: Harbans Singh Digwa (groom), Gursharon Kaur (bride), Jeet Kaur (bride’s aunt). Ref GB124.DPA/1659/32
Family Fun Times
Moravian garden party, Fairfield 1908 Ref m60150Brothers Kenneth, Gordon and Graham Crawford, 1930 Ref GB124.DPA/1632/33. The boys ages aprox. 4 – 7 years and dressed for a fancy dress party in 1930.Family picnics at the River Bollin, 1945. River Bollin, below Castle Hill on a bank holiday, Ashley, near Hale 06/08/1945 Ref m60551Family holiday in Butlins, Skegness, 1954. Ref GB124. DPA/265/10 Father v sons football match, Jubilee celebrations, Alexandra Drive, Levenshulme 1977Street party for Jubilee Celebrations, Caythorpe Street, Moss Side, between Bowes Street and Claremont Road. Creator Wildgoose, D 1977 Ref m62207
Family Business
The Manning Family c1908 Ref m48448Manchester Armenian History 1910 – George Charles’ second shop, on the corner of Nell Lane and Burton Road; number 152 visible in window. Telephone number: Didsbury 11-8. Donor’s father right; woman on left unkown; donor is in centre aged 3 or 4. C.1910. The business moved to Lapwing Lane in the 1920s.Rhubarb Harvesting 1917 – Albert Bracegirdle and family harvesting rhubarb. He was a market gardener in Heyhead, then part of Northern Etchells but now part of Manchester Airport’s site. He was interviewed by Manchester Studies in the late 1970s and some of his family photographs are part of the Documentary Photographic Archive. Rhubarb was grown in darkened sheds, so that the stems would be tender. It was known locally as ‘Baguley Beef’. Produce from these Cheshire market gardens was sold at Smithfield Market in Manchester. Ref GB124.DPA/46/13John Lenari’s ice cream cart in the 1920s on his ice cream round in Collyhurst. Postcard of the Levy family shop in St James Street, Salford. Mr Levy earned his living as a cabinet maker. Mr Davidson believes he might have worked in Ellis’s factory on Cheetham Hill Road opposite Elizabeth Street. Mr Levy lost a few fingers in an accident at work and was one of the first men to get workmen’s compensation with which he bought this shop off Mr Davidson’s sister Hannah Abrahamson (who was much older than Mr Davidson.) The Levy’s did not keep this shop very long. In the doorway of the shop Mrs Levy and 2 of her children can be seen standing. The name above the shop is N. Levy Grocer & Provision Dealer. Amongst the goods advertised and on display in the window are: Scotonia Tea (1/2d), Robin Starch, Buchanan’s (Sweets?), Brooke Bond Tea and Quaker Oats. Ref GB124.DPA/1351/2J Cunningham Greengrocer, no date. Additional information from viewer Claire states “This is my partner’s great grandmother Lucy Cunningham outside their Greengrocer shop which I believe was on New Park Road. Fantastic to see this photo, I hope to find more one day as I’m researching our family trees.” Ref GB124.DPA/741/2
Our House
Family group showing Mr. K. Funduklian, his wife and 3 children, cousin, and servants in c.1900. Ref GB124.DPA/1827/6 Armenian DPA collection.The Goodier children outside their home c1910. They lived in the big houses opposite the baths. Bella is seated on the chair, and her sister is standing on the right. The other 3 children were neighbours. Both the Goodier and the Malpus families come originally from Hulme. Ref GB124.DPA/1121/97Paddy Ryan (in sailor’s uniform) with his family in front of their house on Tripe Colony. Ref DPA/14/17 no date.Family in Naylor Street, Hulme c1962 Ref m26517Children in Bold Street, Moss Side near Talbot Street” Ref m48759, 1969 by D WildgooseFamily in Moss Side 1974. Children at home, No 10 Bassey Walk, Moss Side, 1st family in New Estate, Alexandra Park Estate, September 1974 Ref m48774
Family Portraits
Adeila, Galina and Eleanor Gellman, Manchester c.1904 Ref GB124.DPA/681/7Jewish family holiday c1910 Ref m68955Manchester Armenian History. The Yegwart family, taken in 1934. From left to right: Marout Yegwart (donor’s father), Mary Madaian (a cousin of the donor, daughter of Araxie Madanian, nee Yegwartian), Nouneh Yegwartian (donor’s grandmother), Adrine Yegwart (the donor), Arten Leo Yegwart (the donor’s brother), Ripsme (the donor’s aunt) and the donor’s mother, Catherine (nee Leo). Ref GB124.DPA/1817/17The Seton Family. Back row, left to right: Irene Seton, Elizabeth Seton, Audrey Seton. Front row: Graham Seton, Derek Seton, taken in the garden at Newton Heath, 1941. Ref GB124.DPA/1398/44Family Portrait 1954 – Left to right: Mr. Sardar Singh Landa; younger brother Jeet Singh (aged 10) and elder brother, Mr. Priara Singh in 1954. Ref GB124.DPA/1743/13Family photograph taken at Princess Road Studios. Mrs. Smith with six of her children:- Jeffery, Joy, Royston, Simon, Shirley and Steven, 1977 Ref GB124.DPA/1771/9
Family memoriesSound clips from Manchester Studies Oral History Collection
(1103/736) Mrs. Hope talks about her father’s job as a furnace man and how she used to take meals to him. “… I took my father’s breakfast, I took his dinner but he always came home for his tea …” Courtesy of Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre (1103/741) Mr. Kerr recalls his brother asking him to join the Trafford Park band with him, but he did not have the time. “…my brother came home with a cornet one night…he said that’s for you to learn on…” Courtesy of Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre (1103/742) Mrs. Stringer is asked about parents visiting the school; she remembers mothers taking hot cocoa to children. Courtesy of Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre (1103/743) Mr. Palmer talks about his grandmother who he would see every day on his way to school and his extended family who lived in the same street in Salford; he recounts their Sunday night get togethers. “…all the kids used to be in my grandmother’s…” Courtesy of Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre (1103/746) Mrs. Dixon describes how her father was “…one of the pioneers of the cinema business…” by travelling to different towns and setting up cinemas in different buildings. Courtesy of Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre (1103/755) Miss Brophy and her brother reminisce about how their father started the Trafford Park band. “He taught them himself, he worked very hard…” Courtesy of Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre
We hope you have enjoyed looking back at the photographs from the Documentary Photographic Archive collection and listening to the sound clips of family memories. Additional areas and themes will be covered each month and if you would like to see more images, don’t forget to check out the photograph albums on Flickr and the Manchester Local Image Collection .
