Gallery
John Walker
The John Walker photographs of Sunderland Point
John Walker was a proficient, pioneering, and prolific photographer. Not all have survived and many have suffered the damages of time. As well as of the Point there are numerous images of subjects elsewhere in Britain and Scotland. Almost all of the Sunderland Point photographs were taken between 1880 and 1920.
Born in 1859 the eldest of five children, John grew up in Lancaster where he qualified and practised as a solicitor. From 1878, number 7 First Terrace at Sunderland Point was the summer home for the family. In the early 1900s, John, his mother and two sisters came to the house permanently. They lived quietly and in growing financial hardship, John became almost reclusive and was practically destitute when he died in 1939.
Most of John’s photographic plates were carefully kept by his nephew and niece and were eventually acquired for the public by Lancaster City Museums in the 1980s. The plates are currently being digitalised to save them from further deterioration and allow easier access for historical research.
For Sunderland Point the images are hugely important. First viewing suggests remarkable similarities but a closer examination shows significant changes, and even closer study reveals differences between the early and later photographs. There are a few images of places close to the Point which have been added for interest.
The website gives grateful thanks to Lancaster City Museums for permission to show this first set of his wonderful photographs. This is a beginning, further copies will be added as the digitalisation programme advances. Click on any image to enlarge.
Please remember the photographs must not be copied.
1. Plover Scar Lighthouse.
2. Chapter House, Cockersand Abbey.
3. Land Lighthouse 1.
4. Land Lighthouse 2.
5. Horse and cart from Overton.
6. Horse and cart closer up.
7. Unidentified men with horse and cart, perhaps collecting sea weed.
8. Salmon fishing baulk, location uncertain possibly Crook Farm, possibly 'skear stumps'.
9. Salmon fishing baulk, location uncertain, possibly Crook Farm, possibly 'skear stumps'.
10. Man with Haaf net c1890.
11. Klondyke Bakery - temporary building erected during the creation of Heysham Harbour in 1898.
12. Klondyke Hotel - temporary building erected during the creation of Heysham Harbour in 1898.
13. Klondyke Hotel - temporary building erected during the creation of Heysham Harbour in 1898.
14. Possibly 'Sue' Arthur Mansergh's boat at moorings.
15. Woman driving horse and trap on beach in front of First Terrace.
16. Second Terrace in snow, postman's hut just visible at the end of the pad to the right of the houses c1905.
17. Believed to be 'The Child of Hale' a former lifeboat owned by George Gilchrist.
18. First Terrace in snow c1905.
19. Seat at top of Lane c1893. Most participants identified.
20. High tide at end of First Terrace.
21. Looking towards First Terrace and the Lane c1900.
22. 'Sue' with First Terrace behind c1920.
23. Looking towards Second Terrace, the pad in foreground c1890s.
24. Boat repairs opposite number 3 c1900s.
25. Swans, boat to extreme right has shrimp trawl across deck.
26. First Terrace in snow with tracks of horse between the tracks of the cart.
27. High tide First Terrace.
28. First Terrace in sunshine, ladder possibly for gutter repairs c1900.
29. First Terrace in sunshine (without ladder) c1900.
30. First Terrace, frame of shrimp trawl bottom right c1900.
31. First Terrace in snow (change of angle).
32. 'Sue' the sailing boat of Arthur Mansergh c1920.
33. 'Sue' the sailing boat of Arthur Mansergh with wonderful reflections c1920.
34. 'Sue' the sailing boat of Arthur Mansergh c1920.
35. Several 'passengers' boarding a boat at flood tide, possibly to church in Overton.
36. Tom and James Spencer, on the seat at the top of the Lane.
37. View of Second Terrace, the gate to Dolphin House garden visible c1913.
38. Second Terrace in snow, upturned cart and barrel in lower centre c1908.
39. First Terrace in snow with 2 unidentified men. Mussel craams visible lower left c1908.
40. Barque under tow by steam tug, note the double chains on stone pillars.
41. Barque, the 'windmill' towards rear of the boat was for pumping out bilge water.
42. Schooner on the river.
43. Schooner on river.
44. Barque under tow by steam tug.
45. Barque under tow by steam tug.
46. Norwegian Barque on river under tow by steam tug.
47. Barque on the river under tow by two steam tugs, one in front, one to the side.
48. Barque showing many flags under tow by steam tug.
49. Norwegian timber barque under tow by steam tug.
50. Steam ship on the river at anchor.
51. Steam ship 2.
52. Barque under tow by steam tug.
53. Barque on river under tow by two steam tugs, the second partially hidden to the side of the ship.
54. Ketch on the river, with children playing on jetty.
55. Barque in River under tow by two tugs 2.
56. Schooner under tow by tug, note no chains on stone pillars.
57. Unloading a ship of building timber for Dolphin House construction, carts fitted with frames to keep the planks from the horses c1913.
58. Unloading building timber for Dolphin House 2.
59. Barque under tow by steam tug.
60. Barque on the river.
61. Ship stranded on the sands, perhaps at Pilling.
62. Gardner and Spencer families c1893.
63. Fishing boats returning with tide, old wreck in background, upper-mid right.
64. Causeway leading to the Point.
65. Training wall and fishing boats returning to Overton and Glasson Dock.
66. First Terrace, front gardens at 5 and 6 are netted. Note the ladders to get to the shore from Terrace.
67. Top of the Lane facing the Summer House c1895.
68. First Terrace and reflection taken from Town Skear c1900.
69. First Terrace from shore c1900.
70. First Terrace from Town Skear with flag flying.
71. The Point from mussel beds.
72. Second Terrace looking from First Terrace (before postman's hut) c1900.
73. First Terrace from shore with steps to beach.
74. Second Terrace from the shore c1900.
75. Fishing boats sailing with the flood tide.
76. First Terrace from shore c1900.
77. The Summer House c1895.
78. End of First Terrace looking to causeway, possibly pre the building of number 3 c1885.
79. Point End from the West Shore. Much of this wall was damaged in the flood of 1977.
80. End of First Terrace with unknown group, possibly artists.
81. End of First Terrace with unknown group 2.
82. James and Tom Spencer with gun-punt on First Terrace. Gun on trestles in front of number 10.
83. Making or repairing a shrimping trawl, Gravelly in background.
84. John Walker's family. Adults from left, Sister Fanny, Mother Alice and Sister Ann Jane (Jinny) children in front believed to be his nephew and niece c1895.
85. The drawing room at 16 Aldcliffe Road, Lancaster where the Walker family lived prior to moving permanently to the Point c1895.
86. From left, Jinny, Alice, Fanny and nephew c1900.
87. John Walker (left) and James Spencer: From the collection of Jackie Parkinson-Winter Brown.
88. John with camera at Glasson Dock: From the collection of Jackie Parkinson-Winter Brown.
89. Barque in Glasson Dock on the East Quay. Buildings in the background are the Harbour House and what was the Caribou Hotel.
90. Dry dock at Glasson Dock.
91. West Shore with (probably washed up) boat looking south.
92. West Shore looking north, buildings in the Lane just visible.
93. Stone Jetty Morecambe.