In amongst some old postcards I purchased some years ago was this one although not written on it has the name Walter Smith Station Street Spalding and I have to managed to find out that he had a studio located there circa 1901-1910, would anyone know any more about this ?
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Walter Smith was born in Sleaford in 1878 and by the 1901 Census he was a photographer’s assistant lodging with Thomas Guy a furniture dealer living in The Crescent. Thomas had a daughter, Maud who Walter married about a year later.
By 1903 he was running his own shop and photographic studio at 18 Station Street and was advertising Christmas and New Year cards, private greeting cards and photo cards from 3/6 per dozen. In April 1904 he was advertising that he had sold his Sleaford business to concentrate on his studio in Spalding, which by now he was calling the Priory Studio.
In 1911 Smith was also advertising a second shop in Holbeach High Street, but by May 1912 he was advertising that his only address1 was now at 1 Sheep Market, i.e. the Prior’s Oven premises.
In 1923 he moved premises again. In January he was advertising the Priory Studio in Chapel Lane. It isn’t clear why or when he had moved, however twice during 1923, Smith was listed in the The Bookseller and The Stationery Trades’ Journal as having County Court Judgements against him for debt.
This is brilliant context-setting info, Pat, thanks. Regards, Stuart Henderson, Chairman, South Holland Life