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Painting: Peter Annable (MGRA)

Mike Musson Collection

Photographers

Photographers :  Commercial Sources of Photographs

Our appreciation and thanks

We would like to take this opportunity of thanking the following photographers or collectors for their invaluable contribution to this site without whom it literally would be impossible. The list in the table is incomplete because as the website has grown the task of recording the suppliers of the photographs in tabular format was considered to be not the most appropriate place to recognise their efforts. Credit is therefore given on the thumbnail images linked to the larger images. However the table seen below is retained as the photographers/sources listed were the genesis of the project and without their support the website would not exist. In particular, Mike Musson would like to express his personal appreciation of the following individuals and organisations for their assistance in providing photographs. In particular Bill Stubbs - for the Leslie Good photographs, Roger Carpenter, the late Gordon Coltas, the late Arthur Flowers, the late Pat Whitehouse, John Hyde, Ted Talbot, Pete Lee, Henry Casserley, Ray Reed, Richard Postill, Michael Mensing, John Alsop, as well as the Editor of the Coventry Evening Telegraph and the Librarians and/or Curators of the NRM, Birmingham City Library, Coventry Library, Rugby Library, Solihull Library, Warwick Library and Warwick County Museum.

It was always a pleasure talking to people who were fortunate enough to have lived through the halcyon days of steam. To listen to their stories, not only about the photographs included on this web site, but also about the 'ones that got away'. Arthur Flowers always regretted not having a camera to hand as a boy to record a 'red' L&Y 4-6-4T Baltic tank No. 11111 on its way to the Wembley Exhibition in 1924. Having travelled down the West Coast Main Line to Nuneation it then took the route to Coventry before continuing south via Rugby.crossing Spon End arches in Coventry during the early 1920's and later, an LMS 2-6-0 0-6-2 Garrett further up the Nuneaton line near Bedworth during the war. Mike Byng subsequently supplied the following information 'No 11111 was on its way to the Wembley Exhibition in 1924. Having travelled down the West Coast Main Line to Nuneaton it then took the route to Coventry before continuing south via Rugby.'

Many of the photographers are now either too old to actively participate or sadly are no longer with us so we should not forget that without their foresight we would be very much poorer in having few images to remind us of that bygone age.

Copyright of all photographs on this site is acknowledged as being invested with the photographer. Whilst it has been possible to contact many of the contributors listed above and below for their permission to use their images on the site, there are a few where this has not been possible. If the copyright owners of any of the images on this site object to their inclusion and display, please notify me, and the image will be promptly removed. People visiting this website should note the use of any photograph or information residing on this web site is subject to the terms and conditions set forth by copyright law. As this site contains the work of many contributors permission to use any photograph, article or any other item for any purpose whatsoever must be obtained direct from the copyright owners.

Some photographs have been sourced from Geograph, the website archive of photographs across the whole of the British Isles, originally sponsored by Ordnance Survey. Mike Westley's 1979 photos of Windsor Street Goods Station and Wharf are from this collection (C) and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The list of photographers or collections shown below only reflect the order the photographs were initially loaded on the website. Links have been provided whereever possible either to contact information listed on the site or to an external website. Please note that as many of the photographs were purchased in the late 1970s early 1980s some of the photographs credited to a photographer or collection may not always be available.

There are photographs on the website that can be seen in other publications as being attributed to a number of different sources but are clearly the work of one person. One such example is that of HJ Stretton-Ward. Roger Carpenter advises that on Stretton-Ward's demise in the 1950s his negative collection was sold to a Leamington lady bookseller who in turn re-sold the collection (both prints and negatives) to a number of enthusiasts, with Gordon Coltas having the lion's share. The remainder were distributed to several other enthusiasts including Roger. In addition, as many of his photographs were sold as prints prior to his demise these too have been subsequently copied. Therefore we have received copies of the same photograph supplied from two or more collections. Where possible we have changed the credit on the thumbnail to reflect the original photographer.

Photographs

Most of the photographs used on this web site were originally collected in the late 1970s and early 1980s by myself. I had originally kept all the information on each photograph on an index card recording details, dates and the photographer. Unfortunately after more than twenty-five years and many house moves these have been lost and therefore many photographs have no named photographer or details.

Rather than note any uncredited photograph as being from the "Mike Musson Collection" I have chosen to state that the photographer is "Unknown" or "Anon" feeling this is a more honest approach. Lens of Sutton was a great source of photographs but unfortunately, as with a number of other suppliers, they did not stamp their name on the reverse of their photograph. Therefore whilst I believe a given photograph was from a specific supplier I cannot be 100% confident that I would be crediting the correct source. Arthur Flowers, John Hyde, Ray Reed and Bob Barby, to name but a few, are, I suspect, some of the other uncredited sources. Until I can verify all photographs I must apologise unreservedly to all of the unacknowledged photographers for this omission.

There is good news for people interested in obtaining copies of the Lens of Sutton collection. This link provides a list of the current subjects available, prices and contact address. Roger Carpenter, who has photographs from his own extensive private collection for sale, also distributes photographs from the Lens of Sutton collection together with those of Bob Essery, Peter Glenn, Clarence Gilbert, Pat Whitehouse, Joe Moss and the Mile Post 92½ Picture Library.

Occasionally new photographs come to light but when you find a new source which is outstanding both in their quality and subject matter its even more exciting. Mark Norton has recently created a web site of his father's photographic work which includes railways. His father, Dennis Norton, tragically died young but before he died he imaginatively recorded scenes which to him would have been an everyday occurrence, but to us, its an opportunity to look at scenes long gone with fond memories.

As Mark says "As I have worked on the site and my book "In My Father's Footsteps Birmingham Past & Present", it has become very clear that my father was purposefully capturing scenes that he knew would be important in the future". To see his work, which records much more than railways, visit Mark's www.photobydjnorton.com.

I ask that if you know the photographer of any of the uncredited images, and indeed can supply any further details on the subject, (remembering to quote the image reference number e.g. gwrfc82, lnwra19, miscfr006 etc) to please email me at info@warwickshirerailways.com. Your help will be very much appreciated - Mike Musson

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