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Photographic Negatives by Spencer and others

Description

Collection of photographic negatives (with some postcards) from the premises of the photographic chemist, Frederick J. Spencer, 33 High Street, Stratford-upon-Avon. These relate to Stratford-upon-Avon and the surrounding area.

Please note: This negative collection is closed for conservation reasons. Modern prints from these negatives are merged into the topographical and event files located in the Reading Room. Please enquire.

Custodial History

Frederick John Spencer managed a chemist's shop and photographic business at 31 High Street from c. 1924 until c. 1959. He had taken this over from Frederick Downing Spencer who had come to Stratford from Coleshill in 1908. At some point the firm evidently acquired the negatives of William A. Smith who ran a postcard business from nearby Taskers Passage, c. 1909-1914, and who had previously (1906) been in partnership with Ernest J. Bryan.

Modern prints from these negatives are merged into the topographical files located in the Reading Room. Surviving postcard versions are indicated in the list which follows; in cases where no original negatives for these were found, a copy has been made from the postcard. The letters WAS, BS, or EJB after the entry indicate that a negative is annotated 'William A. Smith', 'Bryan and Smith' or 'E.J. Bryan'. The letters OS indicate a full-plate negative, stored in a separate series