Fillinghams' Photographs

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Introduction

	Contents
	Arrangement

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Catalogue

• Durham University Groups negatives
• University Groups 1974
• University Groups 1974-1975
• University Groups 1976-1977
• University Groups 1977-1978
• University Groups 1978-1979
• University Groups 1979-1980
• University Groups 1980-1981
• University Groups 1981-1982
• University Groups 1982-1983
• University Groups 1983-1984
• University Groups 1984-1985
• University Groups 1985-1986
• University Groups 1986-1987
• University Groups 1987-1988
• University Groups 1988-1989
• University Groups 1989-1990
• University Groups 1990-1991
• University Groups 1991-1992
• University Groups 1992-1993
• University Groups 1993-1994
• University Groups 1994-1995
• University Groups 1995-1996
• University Groups 1996-1997
• Building of Kingsgate Bridge negatives
• Durham City negatives
• Co Durham pit villages land reclamation negatives and slides
• Glass negatives
• Films

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George T. Fillingham, founder of the Fillingham firm, came to Durham about 1904 ( Durham directory), and worked for The Science and Art Company, a photographic firm at 69 Saddler St (information from George Lye). There had been a photography firm at that address (or 68 or 68A Saddler St) since F.W. Morgan moved there in 1897. (Morgan had been in business as a photographer since 1887 at 1 Saddler St, apparently setting up in premises already in use by F. Morgan, perhaps his father, as a grocery). By 1899 Morgan's business had been taken over by E. Binns, who was succeeded by the Science and Art Company in 1903. In the period 1904-1910 George T. Fillingham is variously described in the Durham Directory as manager or traveller. In 1911 his name replaced that of the Science and Art Company at 69 Saddler St, and his firm continued to operate at that address or 68A until after the First World War. By 1921, however, it had moved to 12 Elvet Bridge, where it remained until its closure.
George Lye joined Fillinghams in 1945, aged 15. Bill Lax began his photographic career in 1961 when he was apprenticed to J.A. Mills, photographers, 69A Saddler Street. He became retail manager at Mills for 10 years, and then came to Fillinghams, where he managed the commercial side of the business. The firm was frequently employed by university departments, colleges, and societies, especially after the closure of the Edis photography firm in 1964. It destroyed its older negatives at intervals, however, and at the time of its closure none of its university negatives earlier than 1974 still survived. [Information from George Lye and Bill Lax.]
The identity of the photographer or photographers responsible for the 19th century glass negatives in the collection is uncertain. One is signed "Heaviside". T. Heaviside, followed by F. Heaviside, operated a photography business in Queen St, Durham from about 1863 until 1891. Others may be by J.R. Edis (founder of the Edis photography firm), as George Lye assumed in view of his recollection of how he acquired them, but this was challenged when some were printed in a local paper by an informant who attributed them to F.W. Morgan.

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Contents

Collection of negatives etc., largely related to the University of Durham, taken or collected by staff of Fillinghams (photographers) of Elvet Bridge, Durham. The collection falls into the following groups:
1. Negatives of University of Durham groups (colleges, sports teams, departmental groups, Union Society debates, etc.), 1974 and 1977/78-1995/96, photographer Bill Lax (b.1945), commercial manager of Fillinghams.
2. Negatives of the building of Kingsgate Bridge, Durham (a University of Durham commission, architect Ove Arup), 1963, photographer George Lye (b.1930), general manager of Fillinghams.
3. Miscellaneous negatives of Durham, and one packet of negatives and colour prints, photographer George Lye.
4. Bundle of negatives of land reclamation in Co. Durham pit villages, possibly taken for the County Planning Department, photographer George Lye
5. 27 glass negatives of Durham (6.5 x 8.5 in.), and one hand tinted glass negative (6.25 x 4.25 in.) of a child of the Victorian period. The large plates, and possibly also the smaller one, were acquired by George Lye, according to his own recollection, at a sale of equipment etc. of the Edis firm of photographers, Saddler Street, Durham, after the closure of the firm in 1964. The larger group are views of the Cathedral (exterior and interior), including the Monks' Dormitory, the Norman arch in the Tunstal Gallery of Durham Castle, the cottage at the White Gates and the cottage at the end of Prebends Bridge
6. 16 mm cinefilm said to be of Polish miners, ? working in Co. Durham pits, with soundtrack

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Accession details

Presented by George Lye and Bill Lax of Fillinghams, photographers, Elvet Bridge, Durham, 13 March 2000, shortly before the closure of the firm (accession Misc. 1999/2000:7).

Conditions of access

Open for consultation.

Copyright and copying

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Sub-Librarian, Special Collections (e-mail PG.Library@durham.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material

Arrangement

Arranged in the 6 groups described under Contents. Group 1, Bill Lax's university negatives, are arranged chronologically by year, and within each year in order of university departments, societies, and sports clubs, followed by college groups.

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Processing

Sorted and described at collection level in c.2000. Detailed list compiled in 2009 by Michael Stansfield, with checking, removal of duplicates and repackaging in albums carried out in 2010 by Angie Smith.

Appraisal

Duplicates have been disposed of in 2010, with each unique image has been retained.

Accruals

None anticipated.

Copies

Prints of some of the university and especially college groups may well be held still in the colleges and in their archives, some of which have now been deposited at Palace Green. No attempt has yet been made to match such prints with the negatives here.

Catalogue

Durham University Groups negatives
Reference: FIL 1
Dates of creation: 1974 and 1977/78-1996/97
Photographic negatives, BW and colour, taken by Bill Lax (b.1945), commercial manager of Fillinghams, of Durham University groups: departmental, college, sports teams, Union Society, and others.

Building of Kingsgate Bridge negatives
Reference: FIL 2
Dates of creation: 1963
Negatives of the building of Kingsgate Bridge, Durham (a University of Durham commission, architect Ove Arup), photographer George Lye (b. 1930), general manager of Fillinghams.

Durham City negatives
Reference: FIL 3
Dates of creation: 1972 - 1995
Co Durham pit villages land reclamation negatives and slides
Reference: FIL 4
Dates of creation: 1975 - 1976
Negatives of land reclamation in Co. Durham pit villages, possibly taken for the County Planning Department, photographer George Lye.

Glass negatives
Reference: FIL 5
Dates of creation: [later 19th century]
Films
Reference: FIL 6
Dates of creation: [mid 20th century]