Two men try and contain a gaggle of geese, possibly on their way to market during Harvest time. Behind the crowd is CW Laws the drapers and the Royal Hotel, Stockton High Street c1900s
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A photograph that shows how Stockton was still regarded by this date, as an important farming and agricultural centre, despite it’s industrialisation over much of the 19thC. The demand for fresh produce, meat and poultry (before refrigeration became widely available) would become necessary on almost a daily basis, in order to sustain the bourgeoning population.
Interesting to note, that some of the upper rooms of these premises can evidently be shielded from strong sunlight by both roller-blinds and venetian-blinds. This was usually to protect curtains and other soft-furnishings from sun-bleaching, before the development of chemical light-fast dyes.
It’s also possible to detect that the same local sign-writer, has worked on both Laws’s trimmings-shop premises and Debbings caterers next door, the characteristics of the elegant ‘script’ lettering being almost identical.