
This is a delightful and interesting exhibition. The images of the children are especially cute. The pictures show us life on the Wirral (and Derbyshire) around 100 years ago. Apart from the fashion I don’t think much has changed on the Wirral – I can say that having lived there for many years. New Brighton Tower has gone of course and there’s a lot more traffic. I’m guessing the family were not poor as they seem to have plenty of leisure time, cycling, driving cars and motorbikes, playing tennis and photography wasn’t cheap then.
Jack Urton was a keen and accomplished amateur photographer, the pictures look informal but still very well composed. Little is known about the Urton family now, some 480 negatives were discovered by Heather Price in a cupboard under her stairs a few years ago. Heather’s husband, David, was a keen photographer and collector of photographs and equipment some of which you can also see in this show.
There are also mofre pictures in the book / catalogue ‘An Edwardian Family Album‘ by David and Heather Price is published by Alyn Books, price £9.99, available from the Lady Lever Art Gallery shop, The Bookshop Mold and other local bookshops.
An Edwardian Family Album. 23 October 2009 – 3 May 2010
at Lady Lever Art Gallery
An exhibition of personal photographs giving a fascinating insight into the life and leisure time of a middle class family at the beginning of the 20th century. The family in the photographs are the Urtons of Bebington on the Wirral – Jack, the keen amateur photographer, his wife Biddy, and their young daughters Mary and Lois.

