H. Gordon Tidey
Encyclopedia
Herbert Gordon Tidey was an English
railway
photographer. Described as "one of the fathers of railway photography" he was active from the 1890s through the 1950s.
Writing in 1954, he described the background to his work as follows:
Oxenholme station
is an example of a favourite location, but Tidey did indeed range widely, and it is estimated that he took around 6000 photographs. Characteristically he took ¾-front views of mainline steam trains in action, taking care to include the complete train in the composition, favouring a high viewpoint when he could obtain one, and sometimes deliberately choosing to shoot from the shadow side of the line. By the middle of his photographic career he preferred to use a Delnollo Nettel focal plane press camera
taking glass plate
s.
His work was published in The Railway Magazine
from 1902; in the Interwar period "he often attained the place of honour – the full page frontispiece." However, from 1910 to 1919, his work appeared instead in The Railway Magazines rival, Railway and Travel Monthly, which also sold his work as prints.
At times in his career he sold postcard
prints of his photographs himself or through Oldlands of Palmers Green
or "B[rightman] & R[ushton]" of London. He suspended photographic activity during World War II
; afterwards copies of his pictures were sold by Real Photographs Co., Ian Allan
and Lens of Sutton. Most of his glass plates are now with the National Railway Museum
, York
; some are held by RAS Publishing.
By profession he was an estate agent
in North London
, also contributing photographs to the local Southgate
Recorder newspaper
and being an amateur musician.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
photographer. Described as "one of the fathers of railway photography" he was active from the 1890s through the 1950s.
Writing in 1954, he described the background to his work as follows:
From about 1900 onwards, I have made a point of giving a week annually to a tour devoted entirely to Railway Photography, on some occasions by car, but, when long distances were involved, by train... During these 54 odd years I suppose I must have covered a large part of England and Scotland. I visited many interesting districts on several occasions – with a few years' gap between – and therefore was able to record the changing outline of the locomotives on the important trains.
Oxenholme station
Oxenholme Lake District railway station
Oxenholme The Lake District railway station is a railway station in Oxenholme, near Kendal in Cumbria, England. The station is situated on the West Coast Main Line and is also the start of the Windermere Branch Line to Windermere. The station serves as a main line connection point for Kendal, and...
is an example of a favourite location, but Tidey did indeed range widely, and it is estimated that he took around 6000 photographs. Characteristically he took ¾-front views of mainline steam trains in action, taking care to include the complete train in the composition, favouring a high viewpoint when he could obtain one, and sometimes deliberately choosing to shoot from the shadow side of the line. By the middle of his photographic career he preferred to use a Delnollo Nettel focal plane press camera
Press camera
A press camera is a medium or large format camera suitable for use by press photographers.Press cameras were widely used from the 1900s through the early 1960s and commonly had the following features:* collapsibility into strong, compact boxes...
taking glass plate
Photographic plate
Photographic plates preceded photographic film as a means of photography. A light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was applied to a glass plate. This form of photographic material largely faded from the consumer market in the early years of the 20th century, as more convenient and less fragile...
s.
His work was published in The Railway Magazine
The Railway Magazine
The Railway Magazine is a monthly British railway magazine, aimed at the railway enthusiast market, that has been published in London since July 1897. it has been, for three years running, the railway magazine with the largest circulation in the U.K., having a monthly average sale during 2009 of...
from 1902; in the Interwar period "he often attained the place of honour – the full page frontispiece." However, from 1910 to 1919, his work appeared instead in The Railway Magazines rival, Railway and Travel Monthly, which also sold his work as prints.
At times in his career he sold postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
prints of his photographs himself or through Oldlands of Palmers Green
Palmers Green
Palmers Green is a place in the London Borough of Enfield. It is a suburban area situated 7.6 miles north of Charing Cross. Postally, it is in London N13...
or "B[rightman] & R[ushton]" of London. He suspended photographic activity during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; afterwards copies of his pictures were sold by Real Photographs Co., Ian Allan
Ian Allan Publishing
Ian Allan Publishing is a UK publisher, established in 1942, which specialises in transport magazines and books.In 1942 Ian Allan, then working on enquiries on the Southern Railway, published his first book, "ABC of Southern Locomotives"...
and Lens of Sutton. Most of his glass plates are now with the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
; some are held by RAS Publishing.
By profession he was an estate agent
Estate agent
An estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting or management of properties, and other buildings, in the United Kingdom and Ireland. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a letting or management agent...
in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, also contributing photographs to the local Southgate
Southgate, London
Southgate is an area of north London, England, primarily within the London Borough of Enfield, although parts of its western fringes lie within the London Borough of Barnet. It is located around north of Charing Cross. The name is derived from being the south gate to Enfield Chase...
Recorder newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
and being an amateur musician.