News
New to our photo collection: Over 100 Amazing Images
A striking collection of over 100 rare photographs from the archives of Bailiffgate Museum are the latest to be loaded onto Bailiffgate Collections.These images are likely to be some of the first such portraits ever taken in the town.
As photography was a new and expensive technology in the mid-1800’s, the images feature mainly professional and business men of the time and their families. One of the most famous sitters is photo number 99, George Tate. Described as a “man of many talents”, George (1805-1871) was a draper. He also worked as Alnwick’s postmaster from 1848. He was an active member of the Alnwick Mechanics Scientific Institution and published works on topics as diverse as geology, botany, zoology and history. His most famous work was the History of the Borough, Castle and Barony of Alnwick.
George Tate
One heart-warming photo, number 44, features Andrew and Madeline Gray. Andrew and his bride-to-be, Madeline Burnett were both born in Alnwick in the mid-1830s. Madeline was lady’s maid to Mrs Shafto Orde, wife of the Vicar of St. Michael’s. Madeline moved to Scotland with the family in 1859. It seems, however, that Andrew followed her there, as they were married by the Reverend Orde in Edinburgh in 1863. Although Andrew only had one arm, he was fully able to work as a telegraphist sending Morse code.
The new photo collection “Alnwick Victorians”, along with many other early images from our area such as those of railways, Bondgate, Alnmouth, the Marketplace etc can be found here.