Men in hats pouring out of the main gate to Portsmouth Dockyard, some time before 1910. The dockyard is now known as Portsmouth Historic Dockyard but the gate is much the same. They were widened during the Second World War to allow large vehicles to pass through but they have the same globes on either side and the plaque to commemorate Queen Anne's visit in 1711 can still be seen to the right of the gates. The lantern and archway have been lost.
You are free to wander around the dockyard these days to view 800 years of history, paying only to visit attractions such as HMS Victory. However, I do feel it's proper for men to wear hats.
Note the wagon on the right of the postcard which advertises H. Caswell, Baker and Provision Merchant. Then "Shipping Supplied". I don't think they need shipping. Does Mr Caswell realise this is a dockyard?
A post for Sepia Saturday. A click on the button will take you to the Sepia Saturday blog.
Maybe they mean they supply the shippers.
ReplyDeleteI think Mr Caswell has been there before :-). He has chosen a strategic location to sell his goods.
ReplyDeleteI am with Postcardy, in Rotterdam they call these people ship chandlers. The other possibility is that he was selling his goods including shipping to the door. Today we call these companies integrators (Fedex, DHL).
ReplyDeleteI did a double-take when I saw the picture and started reading. The walls and gates around the shipyard in Portsmouth, VIRGINIA look similar. But when I read "HMS" I knew we were in England.
ReplyDeleteA truly historic place. Great postcard.
ReplyDeleteOh yes. This goes nicely with my 'Victory Parade' post.
ReplyDeletehere
It's always nice to get more information about the historic dockyards.
I wish men today would take off their hats when inside. It really irks my father when he sees men in restaurants wearing the stupid baseball hats. Several years ago one of my cousin's sons was wearing a that inside on Thanksgiving. My dad "jokingly" told him he shouldn't be wearing it in the house. The kid laughed. I looked at him and said, "Oh no, he's serious. Take off the freakin' hat." He did.
ReplyDeleteWell, well! I have had occasion to walk the decks of the H.M.S. Victory in drydock at Portsmouth. I even have a few photos.
ReplyDeleteThis took me back to a wonderful holiday in 1991. Thanks.
Very nice old postcard, love all the nicely dressed men in suits and hats. Not like today - the only hats you see are young men (and some old) wearing baseball hats (as Tattered and Lost says above). Not like in the 40's and 50's when gentlemen always wore a nice dress hat. I have a great photo of my grandfather as a young man in a suit and hat that I treasure.
ReplyDeleteGreat postcard! It's nice that they kept the gate virtually the same after widening it, including the gate including the globes. It's too bad though about the archway and lantern. Those were beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a wonderful historic place to visit, Sheila. I wonder if I'll ever get back to the UK. I miss those trips to my English friends.
ReplyDelete