Announcing Then & Now

simon - 16 March 2015

Then & Now scenes seem to be the popular thing nowadays, perhaps spurred on by the resurgence of interest in heritage.

I thought it would be interesting to view some of the scenes Stuart took as they look today so, for certain images, I've added a feature that allows fading between Stuart's shots and ones of a similar view that I've taken recently. These are a mixed bag - in some cases it's difficult to recreate Stuart's original view-point, he seemingly took a lot of shots from a very high position, perhaps on some kind of platform, and in some cases modern developments present other challenges in finding or getting to the right spot. I have also not quite managed to narrow down the kind of focal length that he used, most of the pictures seem quite wide-angle but I can't quite get he persepctive right. More practise needed I think!

I'll be adding more views as and when I can, I already have a few more in the bag that need processing. In the meantime the existing images are all under the Then & Now tag.

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Updated Biography

simon - 14 September 2014

I've updated the site slightly to make Stuart's biography easier to find. I've also updated the biography itself to reflect the latest research I have done and to fill in some missing details. If you know of anything I've left out then please let me know. I'm still looking for more evidence of Stuart's activities in Aberdeen before he moved to London as well as from during his time in London.

The biography can be found here.

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Minor update to map

simon - 13 July 2014

Hello all. I've performed a minor update to the map so that the map markers are clustered. This makes it easier to see where the concentrations of images are and clearly shows that most of the cards Stuart issued were of images taken in the Southampton area. Check it out on the map page.

I've been steadily adding cards as time permits, at the moment I still have about 150 to add, including all the portrait orientated ones which I have not quire worked out how to deal with yet!

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Finally, a checklist!

simon - 05 March 2014

Many have asked so, finally, I am happy to announce the addition of a checklist to the site! This is based on an earlier list compiled by Jack Foley (available at Southampton Library) and includes any additions and corrections I have made over the years. Note that, while the list is as definitive as it can be to my knowledge, there are a number of missing items and I have not quite got round to transcribing all the various publishers etc yet.

  • The list is available here as an online Google Doc.
  • The list is also available for download as an Excel spreadsheet here.

I will shortly be adding a page to the site with these links so that they are more obvious.

I'm of course happy to accept any contributions or corrections. Simply contact me.

Happy collecting.

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Pictures of Stuart's Houses in Southampton

simon - 01 February 2014

I am in the process of researching the life of F.G.O, Stuart and have expanded the biography page accordingly. Check it out for pictures of the houses that Stuart occupied during his time in Southampton. Sadly one of his properties was destroyed during the war but the others survive. I have discovered that Stuart occupied a building at Bedford place for several years before moving in to Cromwell Road. He also is listed at 'West Marlands' in the 1887 Steven's Street Directory but I have not discovered the exact location. Confusingly the 1887 Kelly's directory lists him at Cromwell Road so he can't have been at West Marlands for more than a few months. If you know any further details of this or anything else about Stuart, his business or any of his photographs then please let me know.

I have been using the excellent resources at PortCities to research this, as well as the special collections at Southampton Central Library.

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New design!

simon - 09 November 2013

I've redesigned the site so that it's cleaner, faster and easier to browse.

I was never really satisfied with the previous design, the homepage in particular was cluttered and clunky. The new design is modern and fresh and really shows off Stuart's postcards.

I hope you like it.

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