Crown Street, Halifax, Looking West (Document ID: 100090)
Illustration of Crown Street, Halifax by J. R. Smith
Author: J. R. Smith
Date: 1890
Location: Halifax
Format: Postcard - Mono
Document ID: 100090
Library ID: 34560102
Postcard of a print from 1893 drawn by Joseph Rideal Smith and printed by Stott Brothers, lithographers of Halifax, from Smith's series of a dozen views, "Old Halifax", the set selling for 50 shillings. So commercially successful were Smith's drawings that he became known as 'Old Halifax'.
From the postcard: "This View embracing the Old White Swan and part of the Castle, shews the Street as it appeared about the middle of the present Century, and is respectfully to Thomas Shaw, Esq., M.P., J.P., D.L., by his humble and obedient servant, J.R. Smith."
Joseph Rideal Smith was born in 1837 at the Waggoner's Inn, which was on the top side of Northgate. He studied as an architect, but due to ill health returned to Halifax in 1870, gaining employment at the Duke of Bedford's estate. After this he worked as the town's first sanitary inspector, he had great influence in building the Halifax goyte* system. He married Miss Empsall of Craven Edge in 1873 and they had one daughter. He died at Craven Edge, Hopwood Lane, Halifax on 21st February 1915.
After showing one of his sepia drawings based on an old photograph to Alderman Ramsden of the Waggoner's Inn, Ramsden was so impressed that he encouraged Smith's work. Smith went on to produce a set of prints bound into books with the original print on the font cover. Each print was dedicated to local patrons and people of standing.
*goyte - man-made underground passage to channel water.
