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Museum-quality
From
Historic Pictures Archives – modern, vintage & historic prints.
Edge to edge image no border never framed.
An original published printed image from the date stated below.
Not a modern copy, facsimile, or later reproduction.
A wonderfully atmospheric image of Albert Square, Manchester, after the celebrated painting by French-born artist Adolphe Valette (1876–1942), dating from around 1910.
Valette captures Manchester enveloped in the smoke, mist and industrial haze that characterised the city during the early years of the 20th century. Horse-drawn traffic and shadowy figures emerge from the gloom, while chimneys, buildings and monuments dissolve into the smoky distance.
The muted tones and almost impressionistic atmosphere transform an everyday Manchester street scene into something remarkably evocative.
This work is particularly fascinating because of Valette's important influence upon the young L. S. Lowry.
Valette taught Lowry at the Manchester Municipal College of Art and encouraged his students to recognise the artistic possibilities of the industrial city around them. His paintings demonstrated that Manchester's factories, streets, smoke and fog could become compelling subjects for serious art.
Albert Square is an excellent example of the type of work that impressed the young Lowry and helped shape his developing vision of the industrial North.
Although Lowry would eventually develop his own unmistakable style, Valette's atmospheric Manchester scenes helped open his eyes to the extraordinary visual character of the environment on his doorstep.
The connection makes this a particularly interesting companion piece for a collection of Lowry prints and northern industrial art.
Professionally Presented Hardback Print
Edge-to-edge image with no border
Never framed
Carefully preserved and professionally presented on a thin rigid backing to provide stability and protection; ready for framing or free-standing display.
A beautiful and historically fascinating image combining Manchester's social history, British Impressionism and the artistic beginnings of L. S. Lowry.
Historic Pictures Archives
Period: c1950s
Professionally Presented Hardback Print
Carefully preserved and professionally presented on a thin rigid backing to provide stability and protection.
Edge-to-edge image with no border.
Never framed.
Ready for framing or free-standing shelf display.
An appealing piece of British social and art history and an excellent addition to a collection devoted to L. S. Lowry, Salford, Manchester, British art or northern social history.
Historic Pictures Archives
This print has a unique rigid backing that offers superior protection against warping, bending, and corner damage. This durable backing ensures your print remains in its pristine, original condition. Whether you choose to frame it, display it freestanding, or add it to your album collection, a hardback print guarantees both protection and longevity.
Key Benefits of Hardback Prints:
Superior Protection: Rigid backing shields against warping and safeguards corners.
Long-Term Preservation: Keeps your print in pristine, like-new condition.
Display-Ready: Ready to frame or display immediately.
Historic Pictures Archives is a UK-based specialist archive dedicated to sourcing and presenting authentic modern, vintage and antique printed images and historic documents and letters.
With an extensive and continually expanding collection of carefully curated prints, we focus on historically significant subjects including:
Each piece we offer is an original published print from the period stated — never a modern copy, scan, or facsimile unless clearly described as such.
We are proud to have served over 6,000 customers worldwide, building our reputation on careful sourcing, accurate descriptions, and dependable service.
Our aim is simple — to seek out, preserve, and beautifully present vintage and modern printed images that are accessible, affordable, and ready to bring character and history into your space.
Thank you for visiting
Peter and the Team
VA