PICTURES ANALYSIS
What can you tell me about Queenie’s photograph?
QI found this picture among photographs that had belonged to my great grandmother Queenie. Her husband, Napoleon Britnell (born in 1881 in Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire), had been a railway clerk at King’s Cross station in London, so I’m guessing it relates to him. It looks Victorian – could you advise?
Will Mundy
AThis fascinating depiction of working life over a century ago seems to link closely to your great grandfather’s job at King’s Cross station. Horses are harnessed to a goods cart bearing the word “Railways”, while the incomplete signage “GN…” probably refers to the Great Northern Railway (GNR), which established its London terminus at King’s Cross in 1849–1852. It isn’t possible to identify this setting precisely, but the Victorian brickwork and arched window resemble various King’s Cross buildings surviving today.
Historically, the station was both a passenger terminus and major hub for receiving and distributing goods: from grain and potatoes, to tobacco, timber and the coal that powered industrial London. It was a vast, bustling complex of goods yards, warehouses and offices. I cannot see what is on the cart, but this scene definitely shows commercial operations at the station, rather than passenger travel. Two of the men wear smart three-piece suits, starched collars and ties and watch chains, while the driver has a working man’s cloth cap and the carter a labourer’s neckerchief. The styles of their suits and hats place this photo firmly in the 20th century, broadly c1905–1915. It could have been taken while Napoleon was working at King’s Cross. Jayne Shrimpton
1 HISTORICAL CONTEXT
An illustrated online history of the station and a separate account of its newly renovated Coal Drops Yard provide context for your photo: kingscross.co.uk/history
and www.coaldropsyard. com/history-of-coaldrops-yard/.
2RAILWAY CLERKS
King’s Cross offices housed the many clerks who were employed to monitor the flow of goods through the station – see kingscross.co.uk/ fish-coal-buildings.
This might explain more about Napoleon Britnell’s working role.
3WORK WEAR
The authoritative, business-like appearance of the standing figures – especially the traditionally attired man in dark suit and formal bowler hat – suggests they were white-collar workers, probably office managers or clerks.
4WORKING HORSES
In the early 1900s, horsepower was used to transport coal and other bulky goods. The heavy working horses in this photograph, perhaps Shires or Clydesdales, may well have been housed at the station’s own stables.
5TIMEFRAME
Considering the photograph dates to c1905–1915 and the appearance of the men posing in front of the cart, I believe that one of them could be your great grandfather Napoleon Britnell, who was then in his mid-twenties to mid-thirties.