Collection: Alexander Chrystal Collection

Date:: 1955 - 1969

Reference:: ACY01

Type:: Collection Containing Photographic Material

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Description

The collection comprises 596 black and white film negatives, and 181 photographic prints, covering many areas across England, with some images also depicting sites in Wales. The images show a range of subject matter. There is a focus on Anglo Saxon and medieval ecclesiastical architecture, carvings and fonts. There are also many images showing street scenes, shops, houses, country houses, harbours, and other building types. Only a small proportion of the locations shown in the images have been identified (approximately half of the prints). The others have no information. In addition to the more generic views, the collection also includes ten images of Victorian railway stations, including Oxford and Radlett, approximately fifty images of 1950s architecture in London, images of Harlow including Henry Moore sculptures, and images showing construction, restoration and engineering. Alongside this is a small set of details showing the carvings on the famous Chevy Chase sideboard, formerly located at the Grosvenor Hotel in Shaftesbury. The sideboard, thought to have been carved by Gerrard Robinson of Newcastle in the mid 19th century, depicted the 15th century ballad of Chevy Chase. It was removed from the Grosvenor Hotel and sold in 2001, following which it was shipped to the United States. The sideboard was badly damaged while being stored in a warehouse in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, and was subsequently restored. The current owners are not known. The images in this collection, or illustrative quality, were taken in the 1950s and 1960s by Alexander 'Sandy' Chrystal (d.2004). Chrystal was an architect in partnership with Bernard West in Bedford; he also studied as a photographer at the Architectural Association in the 1950s. A resident of Bedfordshire, Chrystal also collected a large amount of postcards and ephemera relating to the area, which is held at Bedfordshire Archives.

Rights

People & Organisations

Photographer: Chrystal, Alexander

Keywords

Font, Parish Church, House, Country House, Carving, Railway Station, Sculpture, Furniture, Conservation And Renovation, Street Scene