m - Isle of Man Today

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This magic lantern slide was once in the
possession of Canon Spicer of Malew who died
in 1919. The slide was one of many given to the
Manx Museum by Mrs Riggall in 1951. The title on
the slide is Hango Hill Farm although the property
in the foreground was more commonly known as
Mother Schofield’s Cottage and was demolished in
1911. Note the thatched cottage behind it. Next
comes a stackyard and then another complex of
thatched buildings and a tall building, Ballagilley
but known as the Big Cellar on account of the cellar
under the building. The properties belonged to King
William’s College (The Big Cellar since 1933) and
between Mother Schofield’s at Hango Hill they
erected their indoor rifle range in a corrugated iron
building. (MNH/pic/3429)
One could be tempted to say it hasn’t changed
but it has. This lantern slide is one of those
given years ago by Mrs Riggall and came
from Canon Spicer’s collection. On the left is the
George Hotel with planters outside the front door.
There is also planting on the balcony and at the top
of the flat roofs to the bay windows. Between the Isle
of Man Bank and the Barracks is a yard into which
the Lloyds TSB building was erected within the past
quarter of a century. Notice the tree planting on
either side of the square in the roadway rather than
in the footpath. On the right is the building which is
now Barclays Bank but was built as an assembly room
on the first floor with an open butcher’s market (or
shambles) on the ground floor with all the arches
extending to the ground level as a series of arcading.
In the centre of the picture the building that
successfully links Malew Street and Arbory Street.
Many will recall this as Collister’s grocers and tea
stores. Note the traditional form of concrete pavements
and macadam streets – no paving blocks and imitation
cobble stones, and no bollards! (MNH/pic/3433).
This view has been taken from a
glass negative which has
recently been given to the
Manx Museum library to add to its
vast treasurehouse of images of the
Island since photography began.
The inscription scratched onto the
negative not only tells us the year
but also the fact that the hulk of a
ship berthed alongside the North
Quay was a convict ship. She didn’t
hold convicts here in Douglas but she
had been used as a prison ship in
Melbourne Harbour in 1853. She was
called ‘Success’ and she was fitted out
as an exhibition of her use with figures
in irons and exhibition pieces such as
the cat-o-nine -tails, sample cells, etc.
She arrived at Douglas in 1911 and was
set up with large advertising boards
saying that she was the “World’s most
remarkable vessel” . . . “visited by
royalty”. From 1922 she toured America
but was eventually destroyed by fire in
1946 – 106 years old. (MNH/gift/679)
Another G. B. Cowen view and another
recent gift. This time it is a magic lantern
slide and it bears the title “Two girls on the
Claddagh Road”. It is a view I have seen before and
shows Cronk Sumark in the background. A pair of
thatched cottages nearer to the camera were
occupied by Jim Corlett on the left and Billy Pie on
the right I rather think there was a fire in Jim’s
house but perhaps there is a reader who can tell
exactly what happened. (MNH/gift/679)
Another recent gift of a
photographic negative and again
taken in 1912 showing the end of
the Victoria Pier. I have included this
view because of what was on the end of
the pier. A step ladder lies against a
navigational light. I wonder if the metal
lattice work alongside was some form of
signalling to tell captains of approaching
ships which side of the pier they were to
head for berthing? The piece of equipment
that tricked me is between the stepladder
and the sign by the railings – a megaphone
on a stand . . . “Come in Ben-my-Chree your
time is up!” (MNH/gift/679)