This is a fabulous collection of photographs that depict an important historical event. Two of the photographs are documentary of this event, and one is a portrait. I am assuming the portrait is related to the other two photos simply because they appear to be from the same time period, and they are framed in the same frame, and I found them together as a group indicating to me that they were a collection. I have not been able to identify the individual in the portrait with certainty.
The date of the event was July 11, 1906. The location was Newcastle - Upon - Tyne. On this date King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra received a massive public welcome in Newcastle as thousands of people lined the rainy streets from Central Station. During the visit the King participated in several events. The first was "The King declaring the mayor shall henceforth be Lord Mayor of Newcastle - Upon - Tyne" as depicted in the first picture. Second, the King opened the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) on Queen Victoria Road. Third, The King unveiled a statue of his mother, Queen Victoria, outside the New RVI. And, finally, The King officially opened the new buildings for Armstrong College, which later became Newcastle University. The day before this The King officially opened the new King Edward VII Bridge. This lot includes the following photographs:
- A photograph measuring 11" x 14" showing a ceremony at Central Station in front of a train. There is a sign in the picture which reads "Welcome to Newcastle Upon Tyne". The king is reading a proclamation as a large crowd surrounds him. There is a caption below the picture which reads "The King proclaiming the Mayor shall henceforth be Lord Mayor of Newcastle - Upon - Tyne". The frame measures 20 1/4" x 24 1/4".
- A photograph measuring 8 5/8" x 11 1/4 " showing a heavily decorated double-decker bus, or train car, loaded with people, and surrounded by a large crowd. It is stamped lower left "A. B. Gardiner". Archibald Bushby Gardiner was a well-known portrait and landscape photographer active in Newcastle - Upon - Tyne during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Records from the era show he operated commercial photography spaces at 14 Grey Street and 37 Carliol Street as indicated lower right of this photo. The frame measures 18 1/4" x 22 1/4".
- The third photograph is of a gentleman who is not identified, but is posed in full civic regalia from the same historic period as the rest of the collection. It is suggested that this might be Sir Baxter Ellis who served as Mayor during the monumental transition when Newcastle's chief magistrate was elevated to Lord Mayor. I have not been able to verify this for certain. The photo measures 7" x 9", and the frame is 16 1/4" x 18 1/4".
Edward was the son of Queen Victoria who'd died just five years earlier. His mother had reigned for so long - 1837 to 1901 - that when he arrived in Newcastle as king, he was already 64 years old. The Edwardian period - 1901 to 1910 - was short but is viewed today as a period of relative peace and prosperity before the horrors of World War I changed everything.
The photographs are mounted. There is some chipping on the edges of the mounting boards, but they are currently stabilized and protected in a frame behind glass. They do show some fading.