The post-war photography of Richard Sadler...

Pictures, maps, memories and stories

The post-war photography of Richard Sadler...

Postby dutchman » Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:32 pm

‘Precinct shopping’ is the subject of a new photographic exhibition in Coventry which is set to provide a fascinating look back at the heart of the city and its people

Image

It includes social life too, including this rendezvous at the now listed round cafe in Lower Precinct in 1959 (pictured).

Coventry firm The Photo Archive Miners has teamed up with Coventry Art Space, Theatre Absolute and BBC Coventry and Warwickshire radio to produce the exhibition, simply titled ‘Precinct Shopping’.

It uses photographs taken by Coventry City Council architects during the 1960s and onwards, and by legendary Coventry photographer Dr Richard Sadler.

The Precinct was the vision of then city architect Sir Donald Gibson of a modern, pedestrianised shopping centre, which attracted international interest.

The groundbreaking post-war development now attracts interest due to its heritage, and there are plans to redevelop the Upper Precinct in line with Gibson’s original concept, for instance by removing the Precinct escalator.

‘Precinct Shopping’ is co-curated by Photo Archive Miners’ Jason Tilley and Josh Curtis, who is a year 3 photography student at Coventry University.

The exhibition is open at various times from Friday March 16 to Saturday April 1 and is part of Coventry Shop Front Festival, which begins on Friday March 23.

The exhibition can be viewed at Artspace, City Arcadia Gallery, 32 City Arcade Coventry CV1 3AU.

For more information, go to http://www.theatreabsolute.co.uk/shop-front-festival/

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Photographic exhibition of Coventry's Precinct offers rare glimpse into post-war life

Postby dutchman » Sun May 24, 2020 12:11 pm

A photographer who captured Coventry's post-war recovery has died at the age of 92.

Image

A photographer who captured Coventry's post-war recovery has died at the age of 92.

Richard Sadler lived through the German bombing of the city and documented the rebuilding of the cathedral.

Dr Ben Kyneswood, of Coventry University, said he was "probably Coventry's pre-eminent post-war photographer".

Sadler captured ordinary life around the city and the poverty that remained, despite Coventry's post-war boom.

Jason Scott Tilley from Coventry's Photo Archive Miners group, described him as "theatrical" an "extrovert" and "one of these characters who came out of that booming city after the war and made a name for himself".

He said Sadler was special because he was a perfectionist. Dr Kyneswood added that because he was a fine art photographer by trade, he was taught to take one photograph at a time and spent a lot of time framing his photos before he took them.

Michael Pritchard from the British Photographic History website said Sadler was "one of British photography's important post-war figures".

In his 60-year career, he worked for many of the big local companies, including Jaguar, Wimpey, the University of Derby, Courtaulds, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Belgrade Theatre.

He also worked with playwright John Wiles on 'Never Had it So Good', a social documentary about the city, performed at Coventry's Belgrade Theatre.

A body of Sadler's work has been digitized by Dr Kyneswood and colleagues as part of the Photo Miners project.

He died at his home in Monmouthshire after a short illness.

:bbc_news:
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Photographic exhibition of Coventry's Precinct offers rare glimpse into post-war life

Postby dutchman » Thu Aug 26, 2021 1:54 am

Another study of life in the 1960s by Richard Sadler. The picture was labelled as Corporation Street but was clearly taken in Broadgate! :clown:

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Photographic exhibition of Coventry's Precinct offers rare glimpse into post-war life

Postby dutchman » Sun Sep 12, 2021 3:56 am

Her Majesty not happy abot having to guard her mum's shopping...
Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Photographic exhibition of Coventry's Precinct offers rare glimpse into post-war life

Postby dutchman » Wed Apr 13, 2022 11:14 pm

I remember this!

They were replacing the old, decorative traffic lights with modern, plainer-looking ones at the junction of Lower Ford Street and Cox Street. I think we were buying a carpet from a nearby shop at the time?

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: The post-war photography of Richard Sadler...

Postby dutchman » Fri Apr 15, 2022 6:54 pm

The fruit seller is William Edward Lindon. The shop was directly opposite the electricity sub-station in Gosford Street which is now under the flyover. William died in 1959 at the age of 69 and the shop continued to be run by a female relative (who may have been his widow or his daughter) until 1967 when it was demolished to make way for the flyover.

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: The post-war photography of Richard Sadler...

Postby dutchman » Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:03 pm

This wartime view from Broadgate looking towards Corporation Street is also credited to Richard Sadler:

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: The post-war photography of Richard Sadler...

Postby rebbonk » Mon Jul 04, 2022 2:21 am

That is rather a bleak photograph. :cry:
Of course it'll fit; you just need a bigger hammer.
User avatar
rebbonk
 
Posts: 65579
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:01 am

Re: The post-war photography of Richard Sadler...

Postby Blitzkid » Mon Jul 04, 2022 10:06 am

Dutchman,
That little carpet shop in Lower Ford street, my boss sent me to pick up a carpet from there, it was so big the conductor would not let me get on the bus with it, so foolishly I carried it from there to, along the Walsgrave road, along Henley road to the co-op, then over the fields to Main pit farm at Tusses bridge, I was 14 at the time, and he had just got married. (Loyalty).
User avatar
Blitzkid
 
Posts: 379
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2022 6:33 pm

Re: The post-war photography of Richard Sadler...

Postby Blitzkid » Mon Jul 04, 2022 11:05 am

The world I knew long disappeared. I was standing in Bunty's kitchen as she was so called, a time when the world turned at a slower pace and we all had time to laugh, I was doubled up with laughter, steady hand on the kitchen table, cup of tea in the other. I was watching the old dear run round her garden with a stick, while screaming at the neighbour's Tom Cat, smacking at it with the stick, her other hand was pressing down on her wig that was lifting off her head, like a bird escaping from a nest. She was swearing that no child should hear, It all started when she brought me a cup of tea for running an errand, We both stood looking through her window at what was happening in her back garden. Bunty's cat, a pedigree English blue called "Princess" was romantically engaged with next door's flea ridden old Tom-cat. Bunty had protected he "Princess"ever since the neighbours had moved in, now she was screaming, Bunty had other ideas. The 86 year old was out of her Back-door like an Olympic sprinter chasing the amorous Tom cat. She cornered the Hissing tabby against the fence, for a split second the cat was hunch-backed, feet splayed, fangs out, she swung the stick at him. the tabby went one way her wig went the other, and I spat tea all over the table. it was hilarious.
User avatar
Blitzkid
 
Posts: 379
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2022 6:33 pm

Next

Return to Local History

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

  • Ads