Mystery steelworks photo

[thecliffe 10]

tommy wards was ,nt at tinsley.it was in between wicker arches and norfolk bridge.what is now known as the 12 oclock corner...

 

T. W. Ward was also at Tinsley, it was their scrap yard and haulage yard...........the one at the wicker was the Head Office.

[PopT 10]

I have given the photo a good looking at on photoshop and the top word on the board held by the lad at the front is definitely Firths, the rest of the wording I could only guess.

 

As someone else pointed out there are a bundle of Rods at the front of the picture and oone man is holding a pair of tongs that could be for catching hot rods as they pass through a rod mill to turn them around into the rolls again.

 

I f we knew where the Thomas Firth's Rod Mill was situated we could probably identify the building if it is still standing.

 

The problem with the old steelworks buildings were they seem to follow the same design at different works.

 

When I first saw the picture It reminded me of the loading bay at Fullerton Works at Templeborough but after seeing Firths on the board I realise it must be closer to Sheffield.

 

PopT

[stevo 10]

Mystery Steelworks Photo - https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10151220120049050&set=o.25750519904&type=1&theater

 

Bringing this topic from a few years ago back to life. I am going to stick my neck on the block here and make the following presumptions. After studying this photo very closely and listening to other views , I now think that this photo shows:

 

Thomas Firth Jnr and Mark Firth, the suited gentlemen on the front row. Possibly in their new premises, which I think may have been situated between Saville Street and Carlisle Street.

 

The objects at the rear which I originally thought were railway goods carriages may simply be crates, with the wording on them. The board held up by the lad on the front row, says 'Firths' on the top line. The other wording is not readable.

 

The photo is a double exposure. At 90 degrees to the main image is the underlying image which appears to show two males at the rear of two females. I believe the 2 males are in fact the same persons shown in suits on the front row of the main steelworks image.

 

At the time these photos were taken, photography wasn't a cheap everyday occurance and it may have taken someone with financial clout to order up these photos.

 

Mark Firth was a methodist and this image was found under the floor of a methodist chapel in North Yorkshire.

 

I believe this photo shows two very important men in the history of Sheffield steelmaking, with their workforce.

 

I look forward to any input on this and if anyone wants a full res scan to study or play about with, please e mail me at [email protected]

[stevo 10]

the windows look like Firths on Carlisle street. They have large arches. Let me introduce myself.I'm Gwen and I used to live in Grimesthorpe. Let me know what you think? Is this a possiblity.? Noticed Speeder said something about Firths being where meadowhall is. I thought that was Hadfields?

 

These windows are still visible on Google Earth street view and I think that Gleighton is possibly in the right area here.

[handypandy 14]

The photo is a fascinating piece of history but I think you are wide of the mark thinking that the two suited chaps are anything other than shift managers of some sort. By the time photography was widespread (and the double exposure would more likely to be film rather than plate), the Firths were already practically landed gentry and most certainly would not be posing like this, with the workforce and with flat caps rested on their knees.

 

The windows were a classic design of the time and many of the old factories had similar.

 

The workmen stood with small tongues along with the bundle of steel rod, suggests to me they were probably rolling mill workers. The containers at the back could well have been small rail carts as Firth Browns had their own internal railway complete with loco's.

[stevo 10]

The photo is a fascinating piece of history but I think you are wide of the mark thinking that the two suited chaps are anything other than shift managers of some sort. By the time photography was widespread (and the double exposure would more likely to be film rather than plate), the Firths were already practically landed gentry and most certainly would not be posing like this, with the workforce and with flat caps rested on their knees.

 

The windows were a classic design of the time and many of the old factories had similar.

 

The workmen stood with small tongues along with the bundle of steel rod, suggests to me they were probably rolling mill workers. The containers at the back could well have been small rail carts as Firth Browns had their own internal railway complete with loco's.

 

Ok, I'm looking for opinions on this photo and you make some good points here. I am not familiar with plate photography, so i'm not sure whether a double exposure is possible using such a process. The underlying double exposure seems to feature the same two men with two female partners, which had me wondering if these are their spouses.

 

 

 

The reason I think it is the Firths, is because the suited gent on the right of the photo seems to have similar facial features to other pictures of Mark Firth, but yes I could be mistaken. It has been said that when the firths took their own premises, they did indeed take lunch with their workers and mixed quite willingly with their samall workforce of around 25 men.

 

I think the photo is pre firth Brown, as the crates/railway weagons at the back seem to have Thos firth on them and the card held up by the lad, definitely says 'Firths' on the top line.

 

I would love to get some sort of ID on this photo.

Edited September 1, 2012 by stevo
Omission of text