Magic lantern slide

Acc.no: PEZPH : 2009.264

Identification

Item: The Royal Baths on Penzance Promenade in the late 1800s

Description: A photograph of the Royal Baths on Penzance Promenade, looking towards the lifeboat house. A sign for 'Gibson Photographic' which adjoins the Baths is also in view. The Royal Baths on Penzance Promenade, also known as Norton's Baths incorporated a boarding house, shops as well as Gibson's Photographic. Four wedges of wood are propped up on the sea side of the Royal Baths. Originally thought to be used by the Gibson's for drying photographs, it seems more probable they were used to protect the basement of the Baths from sea ingress during storms, as the shape of them would have enabled a snug fit when placed over the gratings. When there was no risk of storm they'd be propped up to let light in downstairs. Two further pieces of evidence confirm this theory: The Cornish Telegraph of 29 November 1865 refers to "Mr Norton's precautions to make the windows and gratings secure by woodwork"; and an independent photograph of the sea coming up by the Baths, shows the wooden wedges in place over the gratings. The 1865 date of the newspaper reference shows that the wedges were in use before the Gibson's business was set up in 1878, so the wedges had nothing to do with photography.

Description

Height: 73 mm

Width: 76 mm

Material: Glass plate

Production

Method: Printed

Date: 1879

Person: Gibson and Sons

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