An Edwardian Family Album

Photography exhibition

An exhibition of remarkable recently-discovered photographs gives a fascinating glimpse into the life and leisure time of an Edwardian family on the Wirral.

An Edwardian Family Album shows draughtsman Jack Urton, his wife Biddy and their young daughters Mary and Lois in the carefree sunny days that marked the period immediately before the First World War. 

Jane Duffy, head of the Lady Lever Art Gallery, says:

“This more personal, intimate view of an Edwardian family evokes a bygone age. The pictures resonate today with an immediacy and familiarity that recalls our own family photographs.”

The 40 pictures, featuring the Wirral and further afield including the Derbyshire countryside, were taken by keen amateur photographer Jack who lived in Birkenhead and later Bebington. 

The pictures show an idealised image of the comforts of family life.  We see the Urtons at home and in the garden, with relatives and friends and on days out locally and further afield. 

Technological improvements meant cameras became more portable and families no longer relied on commercial or professional photographers with formal studio portraits. A number of amateur photography groups sprang up on the Wirral.   

An Edwardian Family Album was the idea of Wirral-based photography enthusiast David Price, who died in 2008.  Some years ago he was given a collection of more than 500 glass plate negatives found in a friend’s attic.

Covering the period around 1900 to the early 1920s, they were still in their original boxes and paper sleeves. Many were labelled with dates, locations and subjects.

Only the negatives and not the original photographs survived. The plates have been scanned and enlarged to create the prints in the exhibition.  

The Urtons made many outings to the Wirral coastline.  Jack photographed their day trips to the sandhills of Wallasey and New Brighton.  We see them setting up camp on the beach complete with large tent and campfire.  

        
Mary and Lois wear bathing suits and caps while Jack and Biddy paddle almost fully clothed in suits and full-length skirts.  In its Edwardian heyday the resort of New Brighton catered for day trippers as well as people on their annual holidays. 

The famous New Brighton Tower, visible in several of Jack’s photographs, opened in 1900 and was demolished in 1921.  

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