Two unseen photographic treasure troves handed to NRM
TWO collections of unique images – showing the final Windrush-era migrants arriving at Waterloo station from the Caribbean in 1962 and another found in a wardrobe, showing LNWR locomotives and shed staff at Bescot in the West Midlands – have joined the National Railway Museum’s permanent collection.
In May 1962, 20-year-old Howard Grey was the only photographer at Waterloo when about 150 people arrived on the boat train from Southampton, greeted by friends and family members who lined the station. It was shortly before the Government’s Immigration Act was introduced, ending the automatic right to settlement in the UK for citizens of Commonwealth countries.
Despite using three rolls of film, Howard’s images were underexposed and remained unseen until 2014 when new scanning technology and a chance TV documentary enabled him to recover the lost images.
He said: “It was incredible to see the pictures I’d taken in the 1960s finally come to life. When the negatives didn’t develop initially to produce prints, I just put them away and didn’t think about them. Looking at them now and seeing them tell the stories of the time is wonderful.”
Relatively little is known about the people in Howard’s photographs, and the museum is hoping to work with other partners and archives to find out more.
In 1948, HMT Empire Windrush brought one of the first large groups of postwar West Indian immigrants from Jamaica to London. The ship sank in the Mediterranean in March 1954, but British Caribbean people who came to Britain after the Second World War, including those who came on later ships, are often referred to as the Windrush generation.
A selection of the Windrush photographs will be displayed as part of a new permanent Station Hall exhibition, entitled Passing Through, and will help to illustrate how stations are used for passengers to begin or end journeys, move between places, and change relationships.
LNWR history
NRM lead curator Ed Bartholomew said: “Howard Grey’s photographs of Windrush migrants give us a unique glimpse into this important moment in history and demonstrate the many ways the railways can impact people’s lives.”
The LNWR set of 21 images, including glass negatives and paper prints showing a family of railway workers in the West Midlands, were taken by George Stainton, an engine fitter and driver from 1871, and his sons, George and Samuel.
They show his family members in front of different steam locomotives, alongside his colleagues, mainly at Bescot Junction Works near Walsall.
The collection has been donated by George’s great-granddaughter, Sue Stainton, who discovered them in the back of a wardrobe following the death of her father.
Sue and her husband Mark decided to learn more about the family’s history, and were able to discover names, addresses, job roles and more about Sue’s ancestors to piece together the story behind the pictures.
Sue said: “It’s been wonderful to find these photographs. Giving the collection to the NRM means that the information can be shared with others, but also that it can be preserved.
“We knew about the old camera, and my father mentioned that he and his uncle had taken photographs before, so we knew a passion for photography ran in the family, but we had no idea that these photographs existed until we found them in the wardrobe.”
Railway family
The Stainton family’s connection with the railway began with Sue’s greatgreat-grandfather, Samuel (the elder) in July 1856, when he became a porter at Dudley Port station.
Three of Samuel’s sons, including George senior (photographer), later joined the railway.
By 1881, George Stainton had become an engine driver living in Walsall. Two of his children
worked as firemen and then as engine drivers.
Sue’s father, Samuel ‘Don’ Stainton, never worked on the railways because his father refused to let him join.
His passion for locomotives and the railways remained nonetheless.
Sue added: “My father absolutely adored it here (the NRM) – it was his cathedral.
“He always adored trains and was so passionate about them.
“I think my great-grandfather would be amazed that his photographs have ended up here, and I know that my father would be very proud indeed.”
NRM archives manager Alison Kay added: “The images paint a vivid picture of the railways at the time and the fact we know so much about the people in the photos is a rarity for us.
“The stories about the family are wonderful and we hope that Search Engine visitors will engage with them and find them as fascinating as we do.”
Both sets of pictures will be added to the NRM’s collection of an estimated 1.75 million images.