#PhotoFriday Digest – July

Once again it’s time for our monthly round up of #PhotoFriday tweets, where we look at images from the local studies collections across the county, which you can find on www.picturethepast.org.uk .

We started July with a smile on our faces on International Joke Day. A day designed to encourage laughter seemed a good opportunity to share this wonderful photograph of maids at Smedley’s Hydro in Matlock, in the 1920s. This was obviously taken during a tea break and it’s wonderful to see such a natural, happy photograph. We can’t help but wonder just what the joke was that has made them laugh so hard.

We were actually a day too late on our next #PhotoFriday for World Chocolate Day, but we couldn’t resist sharing this fantastic window display of the Dainty Chocolate Shop in Sawley in the 1930s. Walter Rudd had just taken over the shop and it is he who is standing proudly outside. It looks as if the photograph was taken around Christmas because if you look closely you can see Christmas crackers and treats in the shape of snowmen. Interestingly there is a sign advertising the sale of pork pies – something not usually seen in a chocolate shop!

July had the themes of Sport for Explore Your Archive and Health and Fitness for History Begins at Home so our next photograph takes us to Derby in 1913, inside the gymnasium at the Railway Servants Orphanage. These very smart looking boys seem about to show off their skills but we hope they didn’t have to hold those poses for too long while the photograph was being taken!

Following on with more memories of school PE lessons our next #PhotoFriday image took us to the Cavendish High School for Girls in 1923, where we joined the girls at their Sports Day in Buxton. In typical summer weather the girls are finishing their race in pouring rain. While the spectators and teachers have raincoats and umbrellas to protect them from the wet, the pupils are in their (what must be very soggy) gymslips. The bad weather doesn’t seem to have dampened their determination – although maybe they just want to finish the race and dry off!

We always look to see if we can highlight some kind of special event when we are choosing our #PhotoFriday images however International Tiger Day gave us a bit of a challenge. You don’t automatically associate tigers with Derbyshire but who would have thought that they once roamed our landscape? Well, sabre-toothed tigers anyway. Remains have been found in places such as Dove Holes and Derby and our photograph shows some teeth which were excavated in Robin Hood Cave at Creswell Crags in the 1920s. Looking at the size of those teeth we’re glad they aren’t still around today!

If you’ve enjoyed seeing what photographic treats we found for you last month then why not head over to Twitter to see what we have picked for this month’s #PhotoFriday where, amongst others, we’ll be continuing the animal theme.