Photographic Record of

Hull’s Old Harbour dated to 1864

Kindly lent to www.yorkshirehistory.com by

Mr. Chris Ketchell

There are in this little collection of twenty-one photographic images, unique vistas of the waterfront of Hull’s Old Harbour, taken in 1864, a mere fourteen years after the invention of photography by Fox-Talbot c1850. The dating evidence for them is provided in image W16, which shows the workings on the South Bridge, which was completed in 1865. They are not quite a complete record of the whole run of buildings and warehouses of the Old Harbour, but they do provide for much of it. It is not known precisely how many images constituted the entire set, and this might never be known, it is thought however that one more could possibly be added when it is re-located, it being temporarily mislaid. The vast majority of the buildings they portray have long fallen prey to both the bombs of the Luftwaffe during World War 2, and the bulldozers of both developers and a number of city councils who wanted rid of these ‘eyesores’! This is as far as we are aware, a unique insight into Hull’s past, into the very heart of what and why there is a Hull at all. These images show those plots of land, subsequently modernised (in their own times), that formed the very basis, the raison-d'être of the port and later city of Kingston upon Hull. Some of the shown buildings, even though clad with later timber or brick façades, contained within them warehouses of timber frame and/or very early brickwork that are now totally irreplaceable. Instead, the modern world, we are told, demands other things, and other buildings completely unrelated to their situation and its heritage. And while this author has no problem with the new, he also feels it necessary to remind people of the old, of what has been lost forever. However, while these images survive, then as much as can be done to preserve their memory has been achieved. Better than nothing al all, one has to say!

All have been thumb-nailed, and should open to a new full sized page upon being clicked. A brief caption describing the location depicted is provided. Also in this regard, they are shown in order from north to south beginning with ‘W1’ to ‘W16’, with a brief return of four images numerated ‘E1’ to ‘E4’ on the Drypool bank. Consideration has been given to also providing current contemporary and complementary photographic images by which comparison between ‘now and then’ can have been made. In truth however, this is an area undergoing massive changes, and it might be another 5 or 10 years before such can be done with any sense of stability. A panoramic drawing of these same photographs appears in the excellent Georgian Hull, by Ivan and Elizabeth Hall, Ebor Press, York, England, 1978/9, pp. 23-26, and considerable temptation had to be thwarted to scan and present them here, but with the originals being available – what need hand drawn copies – not to mention a lack of copyright permission to reproduce them.

It is considered that the copyright of all these images belongs with Mr. C. Ketchell. Therefore, ANYONE who might want to ‘borrow’ any one or more of them should contact Mr. Ketchell via this link. It is important to those of us who respect history and the people who act as guardians of some of the more precious aspects of it that these seemingly un-necessary rules need to be applied. However because these things are so precious, verging on the priceless, their use ought not to be over indulged, and www.yorkshirehistory.com is therefore extremely privileged to be allowed to present them to its audience. Normally this site would superimpose some small caption onto images in an attempt to prevent them from being too easily ‘borrowed’, however, so rare are these images that no such imposition has been made, thereby presenting them unblemished. They have however undergone some minor tweaking in order to raise contrast levels in some to make them more discernable, but not, it is hoped, at the expense of the original integrity of them.

I hope you enjoy this unique collection; any comments via the site email address please.

Richard Hayton 2006

Designed by Richard Hayton 2006
email richard@yorkshirehistory.com