In the Yarmouth columns of the Norfolk Chronicle dated Saturday 31st October 1863, the Great Yarmouth letterpress printer and stationer George Nall was advertising “NALL'S SIXPENNY ALBUM VIEWS OF YARMOUTH. PHOTOGRAPHED BY SEDGFIELD. Nearly 40 sorts. To be had only at Nall's Library. Great Yarmouth.” This advertisement seems to imply that George Nall had commissioned Sedgfield to take a selection of views of Great Yarmouth for him that were marketed as “Nall’s Sixpenny Album Views.” It is assumed that Sedgfield was William Russell Sedgfield 1826-1902 who was a member of Norwich Photographic Society and was known to have visited Great Yarmouth to take photographs.
In the later part of 2018 a small number of collodion negatives on glass taken in the 1860s of Great Yarmouth scenes have been rediscovered. These plates are quite small, measuring three and a half inches square. One of the negatives shows Ramp Row and this negative is known to be number 100 in the Nall’s Series of Carte de Visite views. Another negative of the then newly built home for Shipwrecked Sailors has been identified as being one half of a stereoscopic pair. It is believed all the negatives were once a part of stereoscopic pairs.
Does any member of this forum have in their collection any stereoscopic or Carte de Visite views taken at Great Yarmouth that can be attributed to Nall or Sedgefield that may have been printed from these plates?
Scans of all these plates are on the my photos section on this website.
Comments
walkiephotos@yahoo.co.uk
Hello Martin,
Your CdVs sound interesting. You can email me at
walkiephotos@yahoo.co.uk.
Thank you for letting me see these.
Best wishes
Paul
Hello Paul,
Have just got the scanner down and will make a start on getting the images to you asap. What is the best route to get them to you pls? Here are the details.
Caister Castle North Side 1867 Nall Series 132?
Caister Castle, from river bridge, no caption
Caister Castle,inner view Looking North West 1867 Nall Series 131
The Friars Tower, Great Yarmouth, 1860, Viewed within the walls. Nall Series13
Row 22 Charlotte Street, Great Yarmouth, 1867 Nall Series 111
The Quay (No 1) Great Yarmouth, 1860 Nall Series 22
View of the Quay No Caption below blank back
Parish Church Gt Yarmouth, North-west View 1867. Nall Series 74
Parish Church Gt Yarmouth, from North-east 1867. Nall Series 72
Parish Church Gt Yarmouth, South View 1867. Nall Series 71
Parish Church Gt Yarmouth,East End 1867. Nall Series 73
The Fisherman's Hospital, Great Yarmouth, 1860 Nall Series 16
Row 99, King Street, Great Yarmouth. Nall Series 102
Ramp Row, Gt Yarmouth, looking West, 1867 Nall Series 99
Row 3, Great Yarmouth, looking east. Nall Series 101
Row 89, Hans Hiring Row, King Street Gt Yarmouth looking east, from center. Nall Series 107*
Row 117, Gallon Can Row(from the Quay) Great Yarmouth Nall Series 103
Row 89, Hans Hering's Row, Gt Yarmouth, looking east. Nall Series 107
Row 100, Gaol Street (from the Quay), Gt Yarmouth. Nall Series 110
Row 91 and a half, Gaol Street, Great Yarmouth, Showing Cloister of Greyfriars Monastery. Nall Series 101
Some dated 1860?
Best Regards
Martin
Hello Martin,
Thank you for getting in touch. I am delighted to hear that you have 20 CdVs in the Nall’s series of Yarmouth views taken in 1867, including 101 of Row 3 that I have the original plate to in my collection.
The Sedgfield connection comes from advertisements placed in the Norfolk Chronicle of 1863 when Nall was advertising “Nall’s sixpenny Album Views photographed by Sedgfield”. I have a CdV of the Yarmouth monument to Admiral Lord Nelson that is in Sedgfield’s English Scenery series published by Bennett. This proves Sedgfield was in Yarmouth at some point in time. I also have a Stereoview of this same scene that sadly does not have any text printed on it. I have several stereo cards that are definitely in the Nall’s series but do not have any text printed on the mount.
I would be very grateful if you could let me have a list of your Nall CdVs with their number in the Nall’s series and the description that is printed the mount. It sounds like you have several that I never have not seen before.
Best wishes Paul.
Hi Paul,
Just caught up with your blog three years on lol re Nall in Gt Yarmouth. I have 20 of his 1867 CDVs including the one you have in Stereoscopic, version no 101. Let me know if you are still interested and I can give you more details. Sedgefield is not credited as the photographer. Regards Martin
Further to this posting.
On Saturday 27 June 1868 the Norfolk Chronicle carried this advertisement:-
“To be let the FIRST and SECOND FLOORS of No. 182, King Street, with bay windows, overlooking the Market-place. The Second Floor large roof light, and is well adapted for a Photographer. • Separate entrances each to Floor. Gas and Water laid on.—
For terms apply at Nail's Library beneath.”
It would appear that first and second floor rooms of Nall’s Library at 182 King Street Great Yarmouth were already fitted out for the use of a photographer by 1868, but who this photographer was is not known. There are no known trade directory entries for a photographer occupying the upper floors of 182 King Street until the 1870s. A new tenant, John Sawyer who was an established Norwich photographer and had been running a photographic studio in London Street Norwich since 1856 took over the upper floors of Nall’s library around this time. Sawyer went into partnership with Walter Bird around 1871 and the Yarmouth studio was managed by Wallace Miller for over ten years.
Sawyer and Bird also offered a range of Yarmouth Views.
Hello Paula,
Thank you for the response. I would love to see the scans of the 5 Nall stereoviews that you have. You can email me at
walkiephotos@yahoo.co.uk
if that is easier.
Paul.
I have 5 Nall stereos of Yarmouth as well as a few uncredited ones. Whether or not any of these are associated with Sedgfield, I can not tell. None of my Sedgfield views are of Yarmouth. Four of the Nall's have labels and one has ms. id. by knowledgable previous owner who would have had a duplicate with a label. They are:
Series D Great Yarmouth Beach
Series 100 Row. 1, (Ramp Row) Great Yarmouth
Series 106 Row 18, Conge Row (id. by previous owner)
Series 140 Broad Row, Great Yarmouth, 1867
#22 The Quay (No.1) Great Yarmouth
These are full-sized stereos though; mount color is standard bright yellow with square corners, all probably dating from the late 1860s as per the one card dated in the imprint. Would you like scans?
--Paula Fleming