Records of the Architectural Detail Postal Club

The collection primarily comprises sheets that were completed for the Architectural Detail Postal Club.

Little is known about this organisation, in which CJP Cave and Arthur Gardner were perhaps the most active members. Cave and Gardner were relatively close contemporaries. Both were Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries, and they shared an interest in medieval churches, especially sculptural details and monuments, along with an enthusiasm for recording these through the medium of photography. It is not clear where they first met, or to what extent they were friends and collaborative workers in the field of medieval churches.

The Club was certainly in existence in 1903, when its aim was described as ‘the securing of permanent photographic records of the perishable architectural details still left us for a while”, and making lists of them. Evidence from the boxes at SAL suggests that the Club produced printed forms on fairly stiff grey card, to be completed in MS by contributing members: at the top of the form are spaces for the name and address of the person submitting it, and the date, and below that photographs could be pasted on, concerning churches and their features or furnishings, along with written notes.

The evidence available here does not indicate who was responsible for ordering and distributing the ADPC’s printed forms, or for collecting and preserving them. If there was a central collection at some date it appears to have been dispersed.