July’s object is chosen by our collections volunteer, Chris.  This photograph album is of extra special interest in the history of Bishop’s Stortford as it contains some of the earliest images taken in the town by an early pioneer in photography.

George Speechly came to Bishop’s Stortford from Peterborough in 1855 and, in 1857, established a chemist’s shop on the High St at a location which is now incorporated into the rear of the George Hotel / Prezzo.  After 1865, he relocated to premises at 14 North Street (recently re-opened as no. 14), with the business being renamed Speechly & Milbanks, in 1892, when he retired and the business was taken over by his assistant Sydney Milbank.  Speechly continued to be active in local affairs for many more years until his death.

Speechly was an early pioneer of photography in Bishop’s Stortford, so the sepia photographs within the album include some of the earliest images taken in the town, some dating from the mid – 1850’s.  In these early days, the photographer would do his own developing, so as a chemist, he would have easy access to the chemicals needed to develop negatives and be comfortable with working with chemical processes.

When he died at the age of 94 in 1928, he was thought to be the town’s oldest resident, with his obituary noting: “Interested in amateur photography, he had the distinction of being the first person in Bishop’s Stortford to successfully take photos when that art was in its early stages of development”

We have chosen a photograph, from 1857, of North Street.  The White Horse Inn (now Pizza Express) is in the middle. The house in the foreground was known as the Doctor’s.  At some point, the bay window has been taken away to create the frontage we see today at kitchen company, Kitchenhaus.

To view the chosen collection, please visit the first floor of Bishop’s Stortford Museum at South Mill Arts.