School's staff save a glimpse of the past

IT has already been a momentous year for Lisnagelvin Primary School, having moved to spanking new premises and welcomed a new headmaster.

Now, it has emerged that the quick thinking of school staff stopped the dumping of an antique book from the 'old' school whilst clearing material from storerooms in preparation for their move.

Classroom assistant Michelle Hyndman and teacher Daffyd Hughes spotted the workmen putting a highly ornately decorated leather bound book in a box for dumping and retrieved it.

What they saved has unearthed a treasure trove of photographs from the Victorian era which could well have direct links to the school itself.

On the inside of the book is written: "Presented to Mr John Warwick, by the members of Mr D.A. Mooney's Bible Class on the occasion of his marriage - Londonderry, December 1901." It is signed by a D Alcoe, Honorary Secretary.

Lisnagelvin Primary School came about after two old Waterside schools - Clooney Primary School and Rossdowney Primary School were amalgamated. It is therefore possible that the book itself was brought to Lisnagelvin from one of the other locations.

As the inscription says in the book, it was presented to Mr John Warwick as a wedding present by a bible study class. It remains unclear of course whether Mr Warwick was himself a teacher or connected to a Londonderry church either as a cleric or a prominent lay teacher.

What is clear is that the book must have been very expensive and its photographic contents are more than likely images of his relatives.

The thick cardboard pages are embossed with highly decorative flower prints placed around the gap where the photographs sit.

Photography in the era just after the death of Queen Victoria was a highly competitive and lucrative trade. Having a portrait picture taken was a costly experience and therefore denoted a certain degree of affluence and societal standing.

The heavily embossed cards on which the images are placed were obviously of very high quality and part of the reason why the images have survived so intact over a century after they were taken.

The photographers themselves also took the opportunity to advertise their business at every opportunity. One for example was an Alex R Ayton of Shipquay Place. Another photographic business was a W.V. Amey based at Commercial Road, Portsmouth which proudly boasted that they had been photographers to her late Majesty, Queen Victoria. The highly modern advertisement on the back of his photos said: "Artist and photographer, miniature and portrait painter - the studios are operated both by daylight and electric and are for instantaneous photography."

Yet more photographers' work featured in the book were from the Lauder Bros based at 32 Westmoreland Street, Dublin, and also at 45 Lower Sackville Street in that city. The photographer L Glass was based at 65 Carlisle Road in Londonderry and the book also feature work by Reid Bros photographers, 81 High Street, Belfast.

Contained within the book is also a postcard sent from Enniscrone, County Mayo featuring a picture of the Humbert Monument, Ballina, County Mayo. Humbert, was a French general who fought in the Irish rebellion of 1798. But the postcard’s content is much more light hearted and is posted to a Mrs Warwick, 5, Cameron Street, Belfast saying: “Have had marvellous weather and well tanned.”

The card is obviously after the partition of the island in 1920 because the stamp, which cost a penny and a half, bears the insignia Eire, the initial name used for the now Republic of Ireland after the Anglo-Irish Treaty of the era.

Further pictures in the album show the young and old, distinguished looking men, graduates, clergymen, beautifully dressed women and men.

The staff of Lisnagelvin Primary School would love to know more about the story behind this precious discovery and would be more thrilled if they could eventually hand this material back to a relative of the original owner.

If anyone has further information about the origin or history of the book, please contact the Sentinel on 71348889 or email [email protected].

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