While U Wait snaps
Walkies may be almost gone from the streets of Britain, but the idea of a souvenir photograph from a day out remains in a few places. I visited the generally excellent Mining Museum in Yorkshire recently. Based in a real pit, one of the special attractions is a chance to descend into the workings via the miners cage. As you emerge from this trip via the original pit head buildings, dressed in the special safety garb, a photographer takes your picture. In a small wooden hut outside, the photographs are downloaded from the camera to a laptop, quickly printed using an inkjet machines, and available to buy as you leave – with keyrings and wallet sized prints an optional extra. Despite many people now having the ability to take a digital snap via their phones, these prints still remain popular. I’m sure the walkie cameramen of the 1920s would recognise the trade, and be more than a little impressed by the technology.
(It’s nothing to do with walkies, but I was also very taken by a digital rabbit hutch in the museum. There’s an image of this at the easy on the eye photo gallery should your curiosity be piqued!).
