CINEMASCO, London E1

Ripped & Torn Film in Cinemascope, flyposted in London E1. I photographed dozens of these some 25 years ago....

Watford Chemical Co. Ltd.

I've got plenty of photographs that I took during a period in my life when I had something of a fevered fascination to collect images of bygone London (then).

Back in the 1980s, I'd spend much of the time exploring my various haunts - in particular East London. Building up a private archive of places that seemed to linger forever battered and broken - and then would suddenly disappear in a blink of eye.

One such building was the headquarters of the Watford Chemical Co. Ltd. in Copperfield Road, London E3, a largely industrial street that is situated alongside the Regent's Canal. These days, it is the superb Ragged School Museum that draws visitors from all over to Copperfield Road, where they can experience the beautifully reconstructed classrooms that were designed by Dr Barnardo to educate the poor children of the area between 1877 to 1908.

The Museum opened its doors several years after the photograph was taken, and some decades on from the era when this chemical manufacturer must have been a laboratory bubbling with activity. Not sure why they were based in London E3, and not Watford in Hertfordshire?

I wonder how many people were employed at the works, and who out there may still have memories of all those emulsifying agents and chemicals manufactured on the premises?

Circa late 1980s. Where have all sundry chemicals gone?

Big Jig's Famous London Scenes

I'm just following up my two previous postings about the Good-Win 'Big Jig' puzzles. I've now finally tracked down all four of their markets of London 400 piece jigsaws issued in the 1950s as Series 5 thru 8 of FAMOUS LONDON SCENES.

Of course, numbers 6 and 7, Covent Garden and Billingsgate Markets, have both since moved from their nineteenth century buildings. In 1974, 'New' Covent Garden relocated to Nine Elms, and in 1982 the fish market was shunted further east along the Thames to its present home on the Isle of Dogs.

I know nothing about 'nevin' who painted the series - nor how popular the jigsaw puzzles were at the time. A previous owner had written 3/- in pencil on the back of one of the boxes.Perhaps that's what they paid for it at the time, when budget puzzles like these were so plentiful.

Billingsgate Market in Lower Thames Street at 8.25am, packed with porters and fish. The 1870s building is now an 'up-market' events venue...

5. Smithfield Market, looking towards St Bartholomew's Hospital. The Red Phone Box is still there...

6. Covent Garden, one for the tourists now...

7. Billingsgate. Note 'GOODWIN & CO' on the most prominent sign. A little plug for the publishers of the jigsaw!

8. Petticoat Lane - for more on this one, check my post in Feb 2015...

Draw Me!

WE WON'T LOOK BACK

Faces in the Crowd 1956/1957

Spot yourself in the crowd and win Ten Bob promised the regular column in the Official Programme of Derby County Football Club during the course of the 1956/57 Season. 

Following previous posts in May 2013 and May 2014 about 'Faces in the Crowd', I've discovered this earlier example of the tradition which this time printed a square white box (as opposed to the circular varieties) around the winning face. Back then, photographs were sparingly used in these publications, and they offer up a rare glimpse into the faces of football fans of this era standing on the terraces dressed in jackets and ties, often topped with a flat cap.

Seen out of context, photos of a crowd of people with a highlighted figure makes for rather uncomfortable viewing - like something out of a creepy dystopian book or film. But in this case, almost sixty years ago, it's nice to think that the individual who had been picked out of the crowd went home with an unexpected prize of a 10/- note.

Published in the Derby County v Hull City programme, 15th September 1956. Too bad the chap in front missed out on the chance of a 10 shillings prize by hoping to spot himself instead...

Derby v Bradford City programme, 13th October 1956. Check the bow-tie. Could those mop-tops in the front be sisters or even twins?

Lady with white necklace captured in the white box, 10th November 1956

Here's a reminder of the previous Faces in the Crowd: 

From Leyton Orient's promotion season to the 1st Division in 1961/1962, and in blue and white print, taken at Millwall's former ground, the Den, during the tail end of the 1960s...

Jolly faces at Brisbane Road, three white hand-drawn circles

Caps still in fashion for the older Millwall fan

*10/- Reward* appeared on Page 5 of the matchday programme. This group shot is awash with grey - coats, caps and jackets

Note that in the information accompanying the photograph, it is stated that the person is "ringed" - however the ring is not a ring. It is drawn as a square.

Incidentally, Derby County would continue to play their home fixtures at the Baseball Ground for another forty-one years following the moment in time when these '10/- Reward' photographs were taken. The stadium was indeed first used to watch the sport of baseball, which had been introduced to Britain by the industrialist Francis Ley in 1890.

Were there attempts of the 'Face in the Crowd' promotion preceding these Derby County examples? Can anyone help me spot other versions published over the years?

One Hundred

This is my one hundredth post for 'After You've Gone'. I thought that it would be appropriate for '100' to riff on the very first blog entry back in April 2013. 

Big thanks for your support, and looking forward to the next hundred...

Penguin Books, 1954

Editions Gallimard, 1983

Diana-Reihe, 1964

Signet Books, 1956

Penguin Books, 2003