Bath Road c.1916
Click ^ for larger image.
This view takes in part of the Bath Road (A4) looking east-southeast toward the Tram Depot whose clocktower stands above its entrance - tall enough for trams to pass through - and to its right we glimpse the junction with Sandy Park Road. To the left stands the arch that's still a feature of this corner of Brislington. The unusual stripped building to the right is the chapel of Arnos Court convent (now Arno's Manor Hotel). The scene appears either to be covered with a sprinkling of snow or a layer of ground frost.
Jonathan Rowe, who contriubuted this exhibit, informs us the chapel was demolished in 1960 to allow the road to be widened (coincidentally, that was the same year the rest of the building opened as the Arno's Court County Club, whose nightclub was well known). The depot, he adds, was built in 1899, and Arno's Gateway was moved to this location in 1912.
The photograph is believed to have been taken by Fred Viner, and the postcard published by Viner & Co., Publishers. Bath. The original photographric postcard was printed using monochrome sepia, but for technical reasons is reproduced here in greyscale. The front carries the title "Brislington, Bristol." and the reference number "167", which is an important clue because although we don't yet have a date for this particular postcard, we know that others published in this series by Viner (and with the same title) were postally used as early as 1916.
Visit our notes for more information about this photographer and postcard publisher, and his work in Brislington.
Our research indicates we're free to publish this exhibit (if any breach of copyright etc may have occured please let us know so we can take appropriate action.
Period: Modern
Exhibit contributed by Jonathan Rowe (chair of Brislington Conservation and History Society).
Text written by Ken Taylor
Photographer: Fred Viner
Acquisition number: 231115a1