Collection: John Parkinson Collection
- Date:
- 1960 - 1980
- Reference:
- JPA01
- Type:
- Collection Containing Photographic Material
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Description
A mixed collection of around 800 mostly B/W prints and negatives, taken by John Parkinson, a former RCHME and professional photographer based in Dartford. The collection falls into two distinct series, namely record photography of nineteenth century pavilion hospitals and twentieth century Woolworth store fronts. All were taken between the 1960s and 80s. Both parts of the collection focus on the geographical area of London and the South East of England.
The majority of the images within the hospitals series are of building exteriors, although there are some from the interiors (including chapels and stairwells). There is little evidence of the hospitals in use by patients or professionals and some of the images show derelict institutions. Some of the images capture the buildings before a wave of demolition and renovation in the late 1970s and 80s. For example, a newspaper article accompanies one series of images mentioning that the site had been sold to developers. The selected hospitals are of a traditional architectural style, including General, Infectious Diseases and Psychiatric Hospitals. The images were produced in compliance with the RCHME's instructions, for inclusion within the national archive.
The Woolworths series shows the exteriors and shop frontage of 154 stores. The dates when the images were taken vary across the 1960s and 1970s, ensuring that the stores are a mixture of architectural and commercial styles. The images also demonstrate the Woolworths stores in situ on the High Street and in relation to other stores. The images are architecturally focused and do not show shoppers or staff using the stores. The RCHME purchased the collection from John Parkinson.
Archival History
Provenance : Former RCHME and Dartford-based professional photographer. Photographs taken between 1960s-1970s
Rights
© John Parkinson