Description of our Photographic Collection

As part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2007 with the backing of Arts Council funding  we collated a collection of photographic prints taken between 1950 and the present day, taken in Wensleydale, Coverdale and Swaledale. The exhibition was known as "Wensleydale in Camera".

We included work by local sixth form students and a selection of winners from the photographic sections of local agricultural shows to bring the work up to date. Most of the work will go into archival storage at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes for the benefit of future generations.

We already owned a historic glass plate archive, mainly produced by a family running a now 100 year old motor car business, who converted an old property in Coverdale bought in 1913 to a weekend cottage. The family still occupy the cottage. Many of the car and bicycle photographs are attributed to this source.

Our historic photos collator, Alan Ellinson, also owns a charming collection of Greystone Bird glass slides taken in the 1890s and depicting rural life as it was in the 1800s.

All the "Wensleydale in Camera" photographs and a selection from our historic slides collection can be viewed via the Historic Photos button.

In 2008/9 a digital A-V compilation of the Historic Images is being produced together with a suitable musical accompaniment and commentary by our in-house Yorkshire dialect exponent.

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