What’s more, it’s scary to think that these pictures are all from an era before England had even won a World Cup! Nevertheless, take a trip back in time to see what things in the city looked like some 70 years ago.
These images will have you syaing: “I barely recognise my own city!”
Still looking for a bit more nostalgia? Be sure not to miss some of our other recent retro picture collections...
33 nostalgic retro pictures of Preston's Ribbleton Hall High School back in the 1980s, 1990s & 2000s
1. The Public Hall, Preston Image provided by A. E. Shaw for the Cotton Town digitisation project www.cottontown.org The building is seen with the later addition of glass and iron canopies. When these canopies were first added to the Hall they were critcised as being gaudy and spoiling the elegant profile of the building. They were removed in the 1950s Alfred Shaw ran a photography business with his father John, in Blackburn. Most of their photos were taken around 1900-1910. John had moved to Blackburn from East Anglia c. 1860 and worked as a blacksmith. John developed an interest in photography and he and Alfred went all over the North West of England and beyond taking scenic views. Many of these were made into postcards. Most of the Shaw collection was donated to Blackburn & Darwen Council following Alfred's death in 1954. The collection comprises approximately 1,500 glass negatives. However, their are probably many more in circulation. Just before WW1 the Shawâs sent a lot of their images to Germany to be colour tinted and because of The War they were never returned. Postcards of images that are not in the collection turn up regularly in private collections. A keen local historian worked hard to identify all the Shaw collection and transfer them to disc. When Cottontown.org was first set up in 2002 the trustees of the site took the opportunity to have them all scanned and put on the site, as they are a unique historical resource.
National World
3. Lancaster Rd. Preston Image provided by A. E. Shaw for the Cotton Town digitisation project www.cottontown.org Alfred Shaw ran a photography business with his father John, in Blackburn. Most of their photos were taken around 1900-1910. John had moved to Blackburn from East Anglia c. 1860 and worked as a blacksmith. John developed an interest in photography and he and Alfred went all over the North West of England and beyond taking scenic views. Many of these were made into postcards. Most of the Shaw collection was donated to Blackburn & Darwen Council following Alfred's death in 1954.
National World
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