Photographs

This series contains one box of photographs whose provenance is unclear. The photos can be divided into three main subseries: loose photographs of Erdington Cottage Homes; miscellaneous loose photos; and an album, entitled G6 Gas Turbine Children's Welfare Fund Souvenirs.

The loose photos of Erdington Cottage Homes (BCC 10/BCH/3/7/1-7) show both the children and staff. None of these images are captioned, although some are date stamped. They date from the 1920s, and photos of the children are mainly group shots, either sports teams, bands, or unidentified groups of children. Also included are some photos of the Homes' staff, but again, none are captioned with the names of the individuals. It has not been possible to determine whether the photographs of sports days and other events were taken at Erdington Cottage Homes or Shenley Fields Cottage Homes, as the two institutions took turns in hosting these events.

The miscellaneous photographs (BCC 10/BCH/3/7/8) include wedding pictures and studio portraits and although none are dated, they mainly appear to date from the 1940s to the 1960s. There is no indication as to whether the people in these photos had any connection with either Joseph Lucas Ltd or Erdington Cottage Homes.

The album (BCC 10/BCH/3/7/9) was created by Joseph Lucas Ltd, and dates from 1953-1956. It includes photos of events in the Homes and a ward at the children's hospital, and thank you letters from the Cottage Homes. Also included on these album pages are photographs that have no relation to the Homes, such as photos of Lucas staff taken at the factory, photos taken at the company's social events, and photos taken during a visit by the Queen. See the file level description for further details.

Where photographs in this series are undated, dates have been estimated using reference to dated photographs elsewhere in the series and internal evidence (e.g. clothing styles).

Many of the photographs in BCC 10/BCH/3/7/1-BCC 10/BCH/3/7/7 are stamped 'F R Logan, Commercial and Portrait Photographer, Stock Exchange Buildings, Great Charles Street, Birmingham'.