Cookworthy

The Fairweather Collection comprises more than 1000 plate glass negatives and was amassed by one of Salcombe’s best-known residents Len Fairweather.

Although he enjoyed taking pictures himself, and did his own printing, most of the plates were inherited from his father Alfred Edward Fairweather who ran a pioneering photography business in the town. The plates include the work of some smaller collections some of which dated back to the late 19th century, which his father absorbed, and range from views and wedding scenes to old shops and portraits.

Len Fairweather was born and bred in Salcombe and could trace his ancestors back to 1066. His father Alfred was born in 1876 and was apprenticed to a Kingsbridge pharmacist. He did not complete his indentures but set up instead as a photographer at the turn of the century and became established in Robinsons Row. He walked everywhere with his heavy tripod in the quest for a good picture. He did his own processing and dried the prints in his living room.

Alfred later moved to 8 Fore Street where Len helped his father part time in the shop and began learning about photography. He served with the army in the western desert during the war while his father continued to run the shop until it was blitzed in 1943. The damage destroyed much of the stock and many plates and negatives where lost but friends helped to search through he rubble and hundreds were saved.

By kind permission of the Cookworthy Museum, Exp!osures has an ongoing exhibition of many of these Salcombe scenes. The original glass plates have now been digitally scanned to preserve them and enable us to remove scratches and blemishes. The quality and the detail that you can see now is really wonderful. These prints can now be bought online in four different sizes or framed from our shop.

The Cookworthy Museum has an even greater selection of old images from all around the Kingsbridge area.  It is certainly worth a visit at 108 Fore Street, Kingsbridge.
Tel: 01548  853235