Steam Dredger 'Thames', 1904

1:48 scale model of the 1904 built twin screw Steam suction Dredger 'Thames', built in 1904

Eilean Glas Lighthouse Light, 1907

Since the 1780's there has been a Lighthouse on Scalpay to protect the Minch, the name given to the channel between the Isle of Lewis and the Scottish mainland. This equipment was fitted to the Lighthouse in 1907 by the Stevenson family, a four generation engineering family which included writer Robert Louis Stevenson, who managed engineering and design of Scottish lighthouses. The glass in this light weights three tons, and uses three panels of prisms to provide as much power and size as possible, focused using the Fresnel principle.

Lily Pond, Victoria Embankment Gardens, 1915

 In the nineteenth century, the Embankment was built along the north edge of the River Thames through London, to improve sewerage and, through the building of a road, to relieve traffic congestion - the underground District Railway was also built underneath the roadway. A series of gardens were also built further inland than the roadway, and a number of memorials were built here amongst the paths and greenery. It's a very pleasant part of London, and amongst the features of the gardens is this Lily pond, built in 1915 and paid for by Alfred Buxton, one of four Councillors who represented the City of London for London County Council who went on to be the Chairman of London County Council from 1916 to 1917.

 

London & North Western Railway poster, 1909

London & North Western Railway poster dating from 1909, advertising Wicklow on the Irish coast, via Holyhead. A reproduction of the poster can be bought from - http://www.past-reflections.co.uk/Wicklow_Coast.html

Blackburn Type D Monoplane, 1912 - Airborne!

 

 The world's oldest flying British aeroplane, doing what it was made for just over 100 years ago

 

Blackburn Type D Monoplane, 1912

 

 This is the world's oldest flying British aeroplane, and the world's oldest flying British aero-engine. Built by Robert Blackburn, who was by then an established aeroplane manufacturer, the Blackburn Type D Monoplane was built in October 1912 for Cyril Foggin and was fitted with a 50hp Gnome rotary engine, first flying in December 1912. Despite Foggin receiving the aircraft in March 1913 following Blackburn's pilot Harold Blackburn using it for demonstration flights before then, it was still used by Blackburn for demonstrations through Foggin's ownership, for example between the 23rd and 25th July 1913 it was used to fly copies of the Yorkshire Post newspaper from Leeds to York.

 

 

 It was later sold to Montague Francis Glew but crashed it at Wittering, Lincolnshire in 1914, and was not flown again. It was abandoned with the outbreak of the First World War and found in 1937 by Richard Shuttleworth hidden under a haystack - he had to buy the haystack to acquire the aircraft. Restoration was started in 1940 but the death of Shuttleworth in the Second World War meant it was not completed until 1949, by his chief engineer. It is kept airworthy and still flies at Shuttleworth Collection when the weather is suitable enough for such a unique, historically important aircraft. Visit the blog in two days time to see photos of the aircraft airborne

 

'Must have Shell at all costs!', circa 1910

 

 This Edwardian advertisement is for Shell Motor Spirit, a very popular petrol supplier of the Edwardian era and made much of it's high quality, and especially associated with it with the growth in aviation in Britain

Royal Waterloo Hospital for Children and Women, 1904

 

 Formed in 1816 as the Universal Dispensary for Children, changing in 1852 to the Royal Infirmary for Children and Women and then finally in 1875 to the Royal Waterloo Hospital for Children and Women, this hospital for children and women as the name suggests was originally based in St Andrews Hill in London, but owing to shortage of beds it was moved to Waterloo, south of the Thames, in a new, large building built between 1903 and 1904. The cost of the rebuilding was £45,000 and had 90 beds for inpatients, and also an outpatients department. The hospital is on the corner of Waterloo Bridge Road and Stamford Street, very close to Waterloo Station. The hospital joined the National Health Service in 1948 which provided, and still does provide, free healthcare to all, a great British institution. The hospital, now known as the Royal Waterloo Hospital, closed in 1976 and sold in 1981 to the Schiller International University, and it is now student accommodation for an American University, Notre Dame University. Fortunately, as can be seen it still retains it's wonderful Edwardian architecture

 

Great Northern Railway C1 Atlantic Locomotive, 1902 - Part Two

 

 Previously covered here - http://electric-edwardians.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/great-northern-railway-c1-atlantic.html , this is an Edwardian postcard showing the Great Northern Railway's C1 class Atlantic Locomotive 251 of 1902 in original condition. As shown in the previous post, 251 is still around today, over 100 years after being built

North Eastern Railway Steam Breakdown Crane, 1907 - Part Two

 

 I've covered this interesting exhibit before, however on a visit in September 2012 the Station Hall area of the National Railway Museum was closed and access to the South Yard area meant that the 1907 North Eastern Railway Steam Breakdown Crane had no cars around it and so enabled better, more detailed photographs to be taken. For the original post on this crane, see here http://electric-edwardians.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/north-eastern-railway-steam-breakdown.html

 

 When in use, these beams would be extended and used to stabilise the crane and avoid it toppling over

 

Sidebotham's Steep Trap Works, 1913

 This is the reconstructed Sidebotham's Steep Trap Works, built in 1913 in Wednesfield near Wolverhampton. In the Edwardian era, Wednesfield was a major manufacturing hub of traps for small animals and exported them worldwide. Interestingly the building has a Belfast Truss roof, Belfast trusses were a very popular and strong way of having wide roofs, and are most often seen in photographs and the few surviving examples of First World War aircraft hangars. The Trap Works are now open to the public at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley

Thomas Smith & Sons (Rodley) Steam Crane, c1915

 

 Under restoration at 'Locomotion', the National Railway Museum's outstation at Shildon, County Durham, is this steam crane believed to date from 1915. When complete, it will look similar to this 1917 Coles Steam Crane at Beamish http://electric-edwardians.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/coles-steam-crane-1917.html

 

"Talbot" 15hp (4 Cyl.) Car (Lambert & Butler Motors Series 9 of 25)

This is 9 of 25 in the Lambert & Butler Motors Series of Cigarette Cards, issued in 1908. From the back of the card;

"This is an illustration of the 15hp London Model "Talbot" Car. These cars are known all the world over for hill-climbing, speed, and reliability. The manufacturers claim to have won prizes in every competition in which they have entered cars during the seasons 1907 and 1908"

London United Tramways W Type Tram No 159, 1902

This beautiful, large tram was built in 1902 for London United Tramways. Number 159 is a double bogie, double deck open top W Type Tram built by GF Milnes. London United Tramways, abbreviated to LUT, started services in 1901 in West London with a fleet of similar trams. When built it was very luxurious, especially compared to the normal wooden floor and wooden seated trams, with the lower enclosed deck having carpets, curtains and padded seats, and i'm not aware of any surviving Trams from the Edwardian era having anywhere near as much luxury for the passengers. Another unique feature is the stairs to the upper deck - rather than a constant curve as on other Edwardian Trams, 159 has a straight staircase, a platform where you turn 180 degrees and then up another straight staircase to the top deck. Restoration of Tram 159 was completed in July 2012, but unfortunately a problem with the Tram meant it was not running during the Edwardian Weekend and I am unfortunately yet to see it in action or get the chance to ride it, but hope to soon

 

Watch 'Tilly the Tomboy Visits the Poor', 1910

Around 20 of the 'Tilly' series of comedy films were made by Cecil Hepworth between 1910 and 1915, starring Tilly (Chrissie White) and Sally (Alma Taylor), who went on to become film stars in the 1920's. The first episode shows Tilly and Sally being sent to look after a poor old woman, but instead abuse her, then cause a man with a ladder and a man carrying what look like barrels to knock each other over, then steal a motor laundry van (it looks like a Maudslay) and then create havoc in a bakehouse with an ever growing crowd of people chasing them. Tilly and Sally then go back to the old woman's house and look after her - when the angry crowd catch up with them, they pretend they've been there all along, and finally appear to look after the woman