Water Lane c.1910
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This postcard is a real photograph showing the part of Water Lane that's visible from the bridge on Homemead Drive (in 2022 the stump of the tree with its roots shown here eroding from the bank of Brislington Brook, is still in place). The credit on the back of the postcard is: "Photo by J. Thompson, Crane's Buildings, Wellington Place Belfast."
In the foreground is an infant in a pushchair, and to his right are two boys apparently floating an improvised boat in the stream. On the left bank are a further six or seven children. The earliest known postmark for this postcard is 24 June 1910.
It's exceptionally rare to identify anyone in these old postcards, but on the back of a variant of this picture published by J B Comer, is a message that identifies the girl aged around ten years old (the one facing the photographer) as Ethel Gingell. She was born in November 1899 in Bristol to Sarah and Henry Gingell who, at the time of the 1911 census, were living with nine of their children at 21 Grove Park Road, Brislington. The census shows four of these children were born in Brislington, the eldest of these being aged seven (it seems likely at least two of these are also included in this postcard).
This picture has appeared in print (Fisher, Janet et al 1987, page 33). A version was published by J B Comer; and another by Bell's Photo Co.
We have some biographical information about the photographer - James Thompson.
Our research indicates we're free to publish this exhibit (if any breach of copyright etc has occured please let us know so we can take appropriate action).
Period: Modern
Text written by Ken Taylor
Photographer: J Thompson, Crane's Buildings, Wellington Place Belfast, c.1910 (derived image by Ken Taylor 2022).
Acquisition number: 220506a1