SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Undated. Image may have been taken around the period of the First World War. It shows large numbers of factory girls standing in front of a red brick factory building, some on boxes for a better view. They are dressed in overalls and mob caps. On the other side of the street onlookers have gathered and several marshalls and a uniformed policmena are posted at intervals in front of the crowd. This could be a Royal visit as carpet has been laid at the entrance to the building. On the left-hand side a line of men wearing overcoats and cloth caps are seen as if waiting to be presented. Two of these men are on crutches. Two other men stand in the street facing them, one with a pair of walking sticks and the other wearing a top hat. On the right other smarltly dressed men are visible. Behind the lamp post, when enlarged, there appears to be someone laid in a hospital style bed, but the image is not very clear.http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

Could the tram track in the foreground be a clue? Either it is a section with centre poles for the overhead, or it is a single offset track section. Perhaps a tramway expert could help with identification.

I wonder if it's anything to do with the King's visit to Leeds in 1915? http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 24668520or maybe Edward VII's visit in 1908? The mode of dress in this one seems to match the original more. http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 93055362Or even, the Duke of York opening a medical school among other things, in 1894.http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 3_72825259    

Style of dress would seem to rule out 1894, I think 1915 looks more likely due to the overwhelming majority of workers being women.

I would go with 1915 as well,also the two gents on the left facing the row of men appear to be addressing an official line up so I would guess that they are official personages and as male would opt for the Kings visit.The building actually looks like some kind of hospital,could it be Jimmy's?

Would it be the Sovereign Street side of the Swinegate tramway depot [as take from the uper floor of the building at the junction of Concord Street]?

Funny - I thought of Sovereign Street too but couldn't work out a reason they'd be lined up there.

http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... 1157778Not this one.

Cardiarms wrote: http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... 1157778Not this one. That would be the one! During WW1 the tram depot was requisitioned and became the Northern Area Army Clothing Depot. According to the same source, "the output of textiles necessitated the taking over of the King's Mills adjacent to the tramway depot".The outfits that the girls in the photo are wearing are similar to those worn by the girls in the WW1 Barnbow photos. While I'm not saying that they may have been involved in munitions production, it may have been some industry involving a bit of muck, engineering perhaps, or else why the "overalls". Other [simlar] period pictures of mill and clothing maufacturing workers show them wearing their own clothes.        

Cardiarms wrote: http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... 1157778Not this one. A likeness .......... mmmmm ......... yes but perhaps just a hint of caution perhaps?Look at the windows in the 1954 picture [linked above], there are only four horizontal glass panels in the windows but in the mystery photo there are six. Now I obviously probably 40years have passed between photos so it is conceivable that the windows had been replaced, but then look at the window sills on the first floor ........ they are definately not the same!That all said, I suspect that you are in the right part of town and in the right period (WW1)A puzzle that will be an excellent distraction at work tomorrow!